Stormi Skies
by SereneGoddessofNoodles
Summary: Stormi never expected to be wanted back. In fact, she was sure that the School had completly forgotten about Slueth and her. Now she's traveling with the flock and her life has changed...forever. T for language.
1. Chapter 1

-1Hello All! What's shakin' bacon? ANYWAY, enough with intros… As you probably already know this is a Maximum Ride fic. Yup. That's it…ok I lied… It also has OCs…You'll have to get over that though in order to like this fic at all. Also, this isn't a Fang x Max pairing. Just so you know, I think it's awkward. She sees him as family then…BOOM! She suddenly likes him. That's my opinion though. Please do not flame me for it. Plus, if Fang and Max were together what would happen to my twinnies! Yes. There are twins. My main charries to be exact. ANYWAY, HOPE YOU LIKE THE FIC!

**Disclaimer: I do not claim copyrights to Maximum Ride or any of the characters, or places, in it. I DO HOWEVER claim Sleuth and Stormi. They be mine. My little twinnies.**

P.S. This May end up as an OC x Fang OC x Max relationship. Maybe Oc x Fang x Iggy. We'll see. Oh, PLEASE REVIEW! I need feedback! End of ramble…

**-**

Stormi

All I could see was lights. Bright lights. Also, something…blood? I sorted through the debris of what was occurring coming up with no conclusion. Then I saw the thing that was to come.

Suddenly, I jackknifed into an upright position. I grabbed my chest and breathed heavily yet quietly enough to not wake up my twin. Slowly, I closed my eyes and sorted through my "dream". I shouldn't say "dream" I should say "vision". Ever since I can remember, I've been plagued by knowing what was going to come. With all due respect, I hated it. The visions were always just…splashes of the future. Nothing big enough to worry over. Well, that is, everything except what I just saw.

"Storm. Did you have a vision?" a familiar voice mumbled beside me. I turned to see my older brother, Sleuth, propping himself up groggily on an elbow and staring at me with the deep amber eyes we both shared.

"Yeah…I think." I muttered as I rubbed my temples with the palms of my hand. Then I started to cry unwillingly. I knew what I had just seen but I really didn't want to believe it. Before I knew it, Sleuth had pulled me into a hug like the one he used to do when I was little. He gently ruffled my short, blue-grey hair and scratched behind my ears. Don't get me wrong now. You're thinking human ears, right? Did I forget to mention we're freaks of nature?

Both my brother and I were the School's "property". The sons of a bitch had created us to be these… mutant freaks. We were supposed to be an elite race of wolf-man mixes but we weren't up to their standards. Therefore, they took us out when we were three, tied us up in bags, threw us in a river, and hoped nobody would find out. Had they not realized we were genetically enhanced with wolf DNA?

Before I go any further with my explanation, please realize we are nothing like _them._ _They_ are heartless, murderous, and foul--everything we're not. Yes, we were the Erasers' predecessors, yes; we were the "failures of the School." Ha-ha. I crack myself up sometimes.

So, where was I? Oh, yeah. Sleuth was scratching behind my _wolf-ears _and holding me close to him. As I listened to his heartbeat, I muttered a soft "thank you". He had always been there for me. Even while we were in the School. Surprisingly enough, we had lived for fifteen abnormally long years together. Usually, our kind died off somewhere around eight years old. I guess we were lucky in a way.

I felt my eyelids grow heavy as the pain receded. Slowly, I felt myself slip into a deep and vision-less sleep. The sleep that may be my last full rest.

-

"Ugh…" I muttered as the thin sheets of sunlight wafted down through the thick foliage. I turned to my right as I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. Sleuth had already gone out hunting? It was my turn to go out hunting today. Oh well.

Half-heartedly I got up and ambled out of the clearing. I suspected we were somewhere outside of Washington D.C. Frankly, I could care less. A forest was a forest. We were safe in the forest. Therefore, we lived in the forests.

I was walking through the tall pines when I heard the soft crunching of the needles. Silently, I moved behind a bush and hoped it wasn't the real Erasers. I was just a normal un-violent wolf girl! What could they want from me?

The crunching became louder by the second. My ears swiveled on top of my head freely-- I needed to know the direction of the sound. While I was searching, I failed to notice how close the sound actually was. Darn super-hearing. It's good for something for what though, I haven't figured out yet.

As I searched, I felt something pet my head. Erasers wouldn't so that…would they? My first reaction was to sprint. Would I do that though? No, of course not. I was a scrappy little fighter with an attitude. I could win. I hoped…

Swiftly, I bit the hand petting me with my fangs. After hearing the screech of pain, I jumped out of the bushes and prepared my attack while attached to the finger still. Just as I was about to hit, I noticed something was wrong. This was a kid _my age_. Erasers were _old_.

Instantly, I let go of the finger and grew wide-eyed. Not only was this a kid my age, he had huge wings resembling a hawk's. What had I gotten myself into? First, I had to apologize.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Please don't kill me! I've had all my shots I swear!" Did I say apologize? I really meant plead for my life. As I begged for forgiveness, I heard others walk up. Oh no. He had called his posse I was done for. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw what I had feared. Other bird-people.

"Who…are you guys?"

-

Max

"I thought I heard you yelp Fa-- kids run away!" I yelled as I saw the Eraser standing in front of Fang. Obediently, the little ones began to run off through the foliage. Why was the Eraser not attacking? We needed to get out of here before it _did _attack then.

"Hey, Max," Fang began in, "I don't think this girl is our everyday Eraser." I did a double take. I knew we were all going mad but still… not your everyday Eraser? This chick had a tail, wolf-ears, and even _fangs_. There was no way she wasn't one.

"What do you mean… 'not our everyday Eraser'"

"I mean," there was a bit of impatience in his voice now, "she's not like the others. She just… bit me then pleaded for her life." I looked from his bloody hand to her. The dots were definitely not connecting.

"I'm really sorry. I thought you guys were Erasers actually. Ha-ha. My bad." the girl's musical voice rang out. She had to be an Eraser. "You shouldn't go around petting every set of fluffy ears you see either!"

Fang squinted his eyes in frustration, "You shouldn't go along hiding behind bushes and looking like Total." You know, she kind of _did_ look like Total. Were they related? I looked her over one more time. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder shirt with a fuzzy grey collar, one short sleeve with a glove-thing, and one long sleeve. Around her neck was an actual _dog_ collar in the shape of a heart and her ears were even pierced multiple times. To top off the completely strange bit, she was wearing cinch up shorts and combat boots that came up to her knees. Nevertheless, she was gorgeous.

"So," I started in, "you mean to tell me you are indeed, not an Eraser?" Even though she seemed kind enough, I had my suspicions. At any moment she could--

"Actually, I hate the bastards. They were modeled after Sleuth and me. I can't believe how they act. So rude, arrogant…"

While she named the list of things the Erasers were, I gave Fang a "what do we do now" look. He shifted his sideways to meet my gaze and shrugged. Thanks for the help pal. Not.

"I almost forgot!" the girl stated spontaneously in the middle of her rant. From her boot, she pulled out a long clean cloth and some Neosporin. I watched in horror as she strode toward us. She was going to brutally murder us now. The adrenaline coursed through my veins. This girl wasn't going to get aw--

"There you go! Sorry about that. Really. I usually don't bite." she said as she finished tying the bandage around his finger. As she turned, I noticed the amazing amber eyes and instantly felt awkward. Was this jealousy? Great. Not only was I a mutant, I was jealous of another mutant. "I'm also sorry to cause you any trouble. I know how it is to be on the run. It really isn't that fun."

"About earlier. You say there are more of you?" Fang asked suddenly. Why when other people talked to him, did he talk? If I tried to get him to talk, he'd just shrug. I have to say, that was my least favorite quality about him.

"More of me? Me no. My kind? Yes. It's just my brother though." she stated simply as she swiveled her blue-grey ears. Suddenly, she turned her head toward the forest behind her. "Speaking of brothers, I believe he is back from hunting now. See ya!"

The girl sprinted out of the clearing with the most speed I'd ever seen. This girl was legit. So far. I doubted we'd ever see her again but it was nice knowing that other freaks lived as long as we did.

"What do you think about making this our roost tonight?" I asked Fang. A good pause of silence passed before he answered.

"Uh. Yeah. Good idea. Nudge is probably hungry."

-

Stormi

"Sleuth! Have I got a story to tell you!" I shouted as I skidded into the clearing. My brother just looked at me momentarily before going back to rotisserie roasting his wood pigeon. I loved how he was the silent type. That meant I could ramble.

"Amuse me.," he stated as he turned to face me. Oh, I knew this would amuse him. Who and what were those people though?

-

ACK! Short chapter! Oh well! I just wanted to tell you this is before the second book. REALLY wanted that to be clear. Remember! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

Look! 2 chapters in one day! Yes, I really am slipping. My poor Twilight fic needs to be typed up but I'm too lazy. Plus, making up new stories that are going somewhere at the point and time is more fun! …right? Anyway, two chapters in one day. Whoo!

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the charries of Maximum Ride. Or places for that matter. Sleuth and Stormi are mine however and I take all parental rights.**

**Stormi: You are NOT our mother.**

**Sleuth: nods**

**Even my own children abandon me…**

-

Stormi

"You mean to tell me," Sleuth started in, "That there are _bird-people _out there?" He gave me his "whatever" look and rolled his eyes slightly. "On top of that, you bit one. Great."

"What? I bandaged it up! I really didn't mean to bite him." I shot back as I chewed on a piece of meat. Sleuth sat chewing quietly. He was most likely formulating a plan. After eating, I tossed the bones back into the woods.

"These people have wings, right?" Sleuth suddenly asked his short, black hair falling in front of his face while he spoke, "Then could they be…another project of the School's?" I hated how he seemed to figure these things out before me. It was true. The School really did do weird things to innocent animals and kids.

"I guess so. My question is however, how come they aren't at the School then? Did they break away?" I asked although it was pretty much a rhetorical question. With a sigh I looked up into the oncoming twilight. "I'm going to go out on a walk. I'll be back before dark."

I needed to sort things out in peace. If I was to find out who and what they were I'd have to meet them again. That is…if I could find them. They could fly and probably perched in trees. As I sauntered along, I felt a shadowy presence file in behind me.

"I know you're there Sleuth." I said turning over my shoulder. Except, well, the person behind me wasn't sleuth. It was one of the bird-people. "Holy crackers!" I whispered to myself before searching for an exit. The trees were so thick the only way back would be to run and jump over it. It was so tall though. On average I cleared five foot six inches no problem. This guy was huge though.

I backed up slowly, I had to plan this jump carefully. As I began to run forward, I felt something tug at my shirt. Quickly, I spun around to see a little girl no older than eight. However, she was one of them too.

"Hey, are you the wolf-lady Max told us about?" she asked innocently. I scrunched my face up and looked at my options. Actually, I was pretty much trapped. With a sigh I slumped to a sitting position up against the nearest tree. Before I passed out from fear, I could answer a question… or two.

"Who is Max?" I asked while playing with my collar. I noticed that the big guy didn't flinch when the reflected light hit his face. Could he be…blind?

"You don't know who Max is?" the little girl questioned. Her cute features had screwed themselves up into a weird scowl. "Well, she's about this tall, and has blonde hair with pink in it. She's usually with Fang. He's about this tall, and has tawny colored hair."

Although I was caught up in her adorable stretching, I remembered the hot pink girl and the one named Fang. "So that's his name…" I mumbled. The little girl bounced over to me. I now noticed she was holding a little angel bear and a schnauzer was tagging along behind her.

"Whose name?" she asked a mere inch away from my face.

"Angel, quit pestering the woman." the tall guy said as he sat down on a rock. So now I knew two names. Fang and Angel. Just how many more of them were there anyway?

"I wish you could see this Iggy! She has wolf-ears! She's really cute too!" Angel stated as she looked over at the tall one. Ok, I had three names now. Fang, Angel, Iggy. Also, I guess I was right about Iggy. _I wonder what made him blind…_I thought absentmindedly. "Here," Angel demanded, "Hold Celeste while I go find the others."

Swiftly, she put the bear in my hands and started to jog off, "Angel, that won't be necessary hun! Angel! Oh God, please don't have them--"

"Woah! You really _are_ a wolf-girl!" a bright haired blonde said as he ran into the clearing with Angel. Was it just me or was my day getting more and more exciting? With a deep sigh, I pressed my free hand across my forehead.

"Yeah! How cool is that? Well, I don't mean cool as in actually neat, but you know as in kind of awesome in it's own unique way. I'm so glad that there is others like us out there. Isn't that cool Gasman?" They all were circled around me like vultures around a carcass. As Angel pranced back to my side, I gave her back her bear.

"I've really got to go now. My brother will be worried about me." Angel looked at me with big blue eyes and I melted. How sweet was she? "Thank you for giving me the privilege of holding Celeste."

Angel giggled before I started to head off back toward camp. Before long I felt a tug on my shirt like before. "Can you tell us your name before you go?" she asked in a honey sweet voice. This kid would be the death of me.

"Uh…yeah. I'm Stormi. Before I go I want to get your guys' names down." I said calmly thinking I had gotten all but the talkative girl's name. "You are Angel," I said as I began to point at the group, "You are Iggy, you're Gasman?" The blonde kid nodded and flashed a naughty grin. This kid was trouble. "Sorry but I didn't catch your name." I said turning to the talkative girl with the sparrow looking wings.

"I'm Nudge. Wow, you sure do have a good memory though!"

I said "bye" one last time before starting out toward the exit of the clearing. I'd already had too much excitement for one day. Just as I was about to head out a familiar voice boomed out behind me.

"Woah! You guys _are _real!" That was Sleuth alright. For an older brother, he sure was an idiot. With a sigh, I turned and saw him excitedly checking out everyone's wings. What a dork.

"Sleuth. Why exactly are you here?" I asked crossing my arms in a dignified way. He peeked out from behind Angel's feathers and put a finger up to his chin. He was thinking. Great.

"Well, I actually kind of followed you but got lost. Then I decided I wanted to see the bird-people so I looked for them and here they are. You guys are amazing!" He happily went from person to person and compared feathers. No, Sleuth. The amazing thing is you're still alive. However, it was good to see him happy and excited again. Usually, he was quiet. I liked it when he got rowdy.

"Hey, did Angel show you Celeste yet?" I asked playfully as Iloped over to play with Angel and the others. I stopped midway and turned to Iggy. "You know, even though you are possibly the tallest thing I've ever seen, you may join in on the activities."

A smile lit up his face, "I think I'll take you up on that offer." Carefully, he stood and walking toward the group with me. "Hey, Gasman! Remember that bomb we made?" It was good to be around such good people.

-

Max

"I hope this is enough firewood." I mumbled as I dumped the last armful in a pile. As I looked around, I noticed something was wrong. Where was everybody? "Hey, Fang. This _was_ the right place…right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because no one is here." Suddenly, every bad thing that could happen to them flooded my mind. Had the Erasers gotten them, had a giant bear eaten them? Why did I leave them alone? What a great leader I was.

"Listen. I hear laughing." Fang said dropping the last of the wood off before stalking toward the sound. Sure enough, within a few feet the laughter grew louder. The adrenaline started to decrease slightly. Thank God they were--. I heard a scream. Instantly, I took off toward the clearing and barged in.

"What's going on here!" I demanded. Everyone looked at me suddenly but continued playing on. I sighed in relief and wiped the clammy sweat off of my head. If they took away my family it would be like chopping off a wing; very painful and very messy.

"Hi Max! Hi Fang!" Angel called out as she ran by with a black headed figure chasing after her. Wait... black hair? No one in the flock had that dark of hair. Then I realized it was just the wolf-chick and another wolf-guy. Wait, why were they…

"Hey! Yeah! You two! What are you doing around the flock?" I more demanded than asked. The wolf-girl got up and started to say something but wolf-boy had already walked over and put on his brilliantly white smile.

"I'm sorry if we're being disruptive. We were just having fun. I'm sorry if we caused you any trouble." he said with a smooth voice characteristic to Erasers. Then he reached forward grabbed my hand and kissed it. Who did he think he was! Infuriated, I pulled back my hand, but he only smiled before going off and running around again.

"C'mon Max! Come play!" Gasman called out as a huddle was being made. Reluctantly, I walked over to the group. As I looked around, I noticed that the wolf pack was included too. Were they ever going to just go away?

"Here's the plan," the male wolf started in, "I'll give you a minute to hide. After that, the Big Bad Wolf is gonna be after you!" The little ones squealed and ran off happily into the forest. He was going to get us killed _and_ seperated. "You better hide." he stated simply as he turned around to the tree. "That would be quite unfortunate if I found the oldest first."

I looked back to find Fang, but he too had disappeared. I let out a despairing sigh and fled off into the woods. Skillfully, I jumped into a tree and perched on the highest branch I could find. I'd like to see the wolf-boy find me up here.

"Ready or not! Here I come!" his clear voice rang through the trees. I couldn't hear the sly beast-- it kind of worried me. These two were designed to be hunters, killers, and stealthy at all cost. I mean they could be--

"You know, you are really easy to find." that smooth voice said behind me. I jumped slightly and kept my cool. I would not let this guy win.

"Oh, really. No wonder I'm not successful at escaping the Erasers. Maybe it's the Eraser in you. Who knows?"

"I'm not an Eraser," he said sternly as he looked at me square in the eyes, "Don't ever confuse me with those vermin." His golden eyes stared at me briefly before turning away and jumping out of the tree gracefully. I noticed his hair looked like Fang's as he walked away. Except this guy's was shorter in back than in front and spiked up everywhere. The front hung down in front of his eyes and his ears and tail were pitch black aside from the grey tip on his tail.

Noticing that I was paying attention to him, I shook my head of such thoughts and floated back down toward earth. I wondered halfheartedly if he'd found the others yet. Lazily, I scanned the area. The others were no where to be seen.

"What took ya so long Max?" Iggy stated as he and the rest of the flock stood in the clearing. The wolves were laughing heavily and hanging on each other. Together they were almost alike. It was crazy.

"Sleuth! I told you not to tell them that we had another form!" the female said in a mock whisper.

"Sorry Stormi, I think you should show them." Sleuth stated as he patted his sister's back. Stormi let out a defeated sigh. "Good choice! Big Brother will always win!"

"Big Brother is about to get his ass kicked." she stated plainly. All that time I had been censoring myself and then this wolf just says it openly. Tomorrow morning, Angel would be cussing like a sailor again. Everything got quiet as Stormi closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. At first, nothing appeared to be happening; it just looked like she was clenching her fists. Then, as if by magic, she slowly started to morph down to smaller, furrier form. There was a brief flash of light and all was left was a grey wolf sitting in the clearing where Stormi once stood. Show off…

"Wow! That's awesome!" Gasman stated as he jumped forward to pet her. Everyone else was praising her too. It was a giant petting zoo…with only one animal. At least Fang wasn't joining in the activities. I decided to go sit by him. We needed a plan to get rid of these two.

"What are we going to do with them?" I asked as I perched my hand under my chin. I looked sideways toward Fang, but he was just staring off into space, not at anything in particular, but staring with a smile.

"I think we should let them come along. They seem to be from the School. They aren't that bad of people either." he stated simply as he drew back his gaze to mine. I sighed again (anxiety was getting the best of me), and looked toward the two. I guess he was right. It wasn't like they were againstus or they would have done something by now.

Iruffled my hair in a professional manner and headed toward the group. They were all around Stormi and petting her still. Curiously, I listened in to the conversation she was having with Angel.

"So, you lived in this form for a year?" she asked as she scratched between Stormi's ears. Stormi smiled in a dog kind of way and then rose a paw. To my surprise she actually replied.

"Yeah. We were being hunted by the old Erasers back then so we decided to stay with a real wolf pack until the chaos died down. The only problem is, when you change back…" The blinding light shrouded Stormi for a brief second. "You're completely naked."

Instantly, my hand shot out over Gasman's, Angel's, and Nudge's eyes. This woman was nuts! I was glad that Iggy couldn't see and that-- Fang _was_ looking! Anger shot out of me as if thrown from a sling.

"What do you think you're doing! Put on some clothes!" I yelled as I dragged the little ones away. I could hear Iggy and Fang chuckle. I'd have to deal with them later.

"Fine, fine. Clothes are so…restricting though…" she mumbled as she began to pull on her shirt. Did this girl have no common sense!

"Go do it behind a tree! Don't change in the middle of the clearing! Gah!" I shot a death look at Fang who was still chuckling. "You. You shouldn't be looking! You're supposed to set an example for Gasman!"

"Oh, so you want Gasman to be gay? I'm only a genetically engineered teenage boy Max." he replied flatly before he closed his eyes reluctantly.

"This better?" Stormi asked as she came out from behind the tree _fully _clothed. She was still grumpy but she could get over that. I let the kids go and they immediately went over to ask what happened.

"Hey, you two. Can you come here for a second?" I asked. They looked at each other and then shrugged. Within a millisecond they were in front of me and as close to eye level as possible. They were a few inches taller than me too. Life was so not fair.

"Well, what do you--"

"Want to talk about?" they said completing each other's sentences. I looked from one to the other. Inwardly, I didn't know if this was a good idea or not, but Fang _usually_ had good judgment.

"I want to ask you…" I started in quietly, "if you would join us in taking down the School."

"Excuse us for a second." Sleuth stated pulling Stormi to the side. After a few minutes of animated talking, they strode back with bright fanged smiles. "We decided that we would." he stated simply before turning as if to walk off. At the last second he turned back around in smiled, "That means I'll be seeing more of you then." My face flushed deep red as he winked. A cold chill ran up my spine and made my heart beat faster. The nerve Sleuth had! I was already beginning to think this was a bad idea…


	3. Chapter 3

-1Hello yet again my furry little friends. Ok, I hope you aren't hairy….or friends of mine unless you're Animeluv09 (my best friend and semi-editor). If you are my friend in real life, don't ever share this story with anyone! I would brutally kill you. That is, if you did and you won't do that to me…right?

**Disclaimer: I don't own the copyrights to Max, Gasman, Angel, Iggy ect. ect. Nor do I take credit for the School. Sleuth and Stormi are mine however.**

-

Stormi

It would've been a nice evening had I not awaken to the sound of crunching pine needles. As I opened my eyes, I noticed that everyone was still asleep. I sniffed the air a couple of times. My guess was Erasers. Well, time to get out of here.

First thing I did was wake up the leader. She'd have some type of plan. I could easily take down several of these "new and improved" Erasers, but I wasn't sure how battle oriented they were.

"What?" Max mumbled groggily as she attempted to open one eye. Quickly, I went around waking everyone up. Sleuth was already up by the time I got back around to him, so he joined me as I talked to Max.

"There are about…seven Erasers coming from a north northeast direction. I suggest you and your flock get into the air. We'll take care of them for the meantime." I stated quietly as the flock began to shuffle toward us.

Max's eyes went wide all of a sudden, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Everybody, up in the air now!" She looked at me momentarily before her calloused look spread, "I'm not leaving you two down here either. I'm staying with you." Sleuth and I shrugged. We could take these guys out no problem. Or…so we prayed.

-

Max

I could finally hear the crunching and saw that Sleuth and Stormi were already cracking their knuckles. I really had made a stupid decision. Staying here with them that is. The odor of the nasty creatures we all hated wafted its way through the foliage. Here they were.

"Look boss! Not only did we find a member of the flock but the wolf pack. Oh… how I'll enjoy ripping into your flesh girlie…" an underling said to Stormi. Suddenly, her usually bright golden eyes turned a deadly shade of red. Without me ever seeing, she took out the guy and threw him at the foot of another Eraser.

"My, my. Look at the power our ancestors had," Ari's voice crooned, "Too bad the School wants you back. I could learn a few tricks from you two." Drool dripped from his long yellow fangs as he looked at the pack with hunger. Suddenly, his head snapped to me. "Surprised to see me standing Max? I know you tried to kill me and all but no hard fe--"

"Shut up!" Sleuth boomed as he roundhouse kicked him in the face. Ari growled and wiped at the blood forming beside his lip. What was I going to do? Attempt to fight pathetically? Yup. That's what I _had_ to do. Soon, an all out melee began.

"Max!" Stormi yelled, "Behind you!" I turned quickly enough to undercut an Eraser in the jaw. However, he just left and kept advancing. Great, like I could beat him…

Sleuth had knocked Ari out. How? That guy was indestructible…almost. Then suddenly, Sleuth replaced the underling. He gave me a quick smile before heading back out to take care of Ari. It seemed that two were gaining on Stormi though. She gave an evil smile before launching herself into the air. When she came down, she planted her feet firmly into the first Erasers chest. Then, using the recoil, front-flipped and impaled the other in the face with her boot.

The Erasers that were still alive were hurt badly. They all had limps and bloodied body parts. I looked at my comrades and gawped. Sleuth only had a thin line of blood trickling from his forehead and his lip while Stormi stood with bloody knuckles and a slight knife cut on the cheek. These guys were practically juggernauts!

"Group! Get back." Ari demanded. "You three just wait. We'll be back." With uncanny speed, Ari seeped back into the foliage and so did his followers. They had beaten the Erasers! With exhausted sighs, the pair clenched their fists, knocked them together, and then shot at each other with gun fingers.

"Wow guys! That was amazing!" I found myself saying. They walked over and looked around the area one last time. Stormi wiped the back of her hand across her cheek to wipe off the blood, but the blood on her hand just smeared it. "We need to get you two bandaged up."

"Where is the rest of your flock? They are top priority now." Sleuth said calmly between deep breaths. I noticed that Stormi's eyes had returned to a golden color. That was good. I then spread my wings and took to the air to gather my flock. As I worked my way upward, I could hear the soft chatter of the flock above.

"Everyone ok?" I asked as I left the trees. They all nodded and smiled. I did a quick head count, one was missing. "Hey, who's gone?" I stated although I was worried.

"Fang went down to see if the wolves were ok. He actually flew into town and got first-aid supplies knowing you'd get beat up." Angel said with a smile. I rolled my eyes and then began my descent. What a loving, caring person Fang was. I still wanted to sock him a good one.

-

Stormi

Once the battle was over I felt instantly relieved. So we _did_ have super strength and agility. At least more than the Erasers'. I was surprised that we indeed had any fighting blood in us, to be honest. It surprised me even more that Sleuth was such a great fighter.

"Hey, you ok?" someone asked from behind us. Both Sleuth and I turned to face it in a fighting stance. We could totally stomp a couple more. As it stepped forward, I could see that it was the bird-boy, Fang that I had bitten. Instantly, my cheeks warmed. Good thing it was dark.

"Yeah, we've got a couple of cuts. That's all." Sleuth replied. I noticed that the wound on his head was getting bloodier by the second. Where did that gauze go? Oh yeah, to wrap up Fang's finger.

"Sleuth, you're pretty beat up bro. You've got this nice waterfall effect coming from your head." I commented. He lifted his hand up to feel the blood and shrugged. It was just like him in a time like this, with blood seeping out of a head wound, to just shrug. I loved my brother, but sometimes I just wanted to sock him for not answering.

"Here. I brought some first-aid stuff." Fang said flatly holding up the box. He sat it on the ground and opened it up. I could smell the newness in it. Had he really flown into town and gotten it for this reason?

Quickly, I strode over to the box and gathered enough gauze and tape to heal an entire army. I then began my major wrapping session on Sleuth's head. He "ow" -ed and winced a lot, but finally the process was done. The bandage covered a diagonal across his head, but I left his bang over the bandage. "You can see right?" I asked.

"Yeah. I can get used to using the bang eye. You kind of covered up the un-banged one." he muttered. With a sigh of relief, I began to bandage myself. All I had was a cut across the cheek and some knuckle damage. Nothing too horribly bad.

"Here, let me do it." Fang stated as he saw me fumbling. It's hard to wrap with only one hand. He gathered some bandages and an antiseptic spray. Dammit! I knew I had forgotten to put something on Sleuth's head. If he died of a brain infection, I'd commit suicide.

As Fang started to wrap my hand, I noticed that Sleuth had propped himself up on a tree. He was scratching at the bandage like a dog. Maybe, I could put one of those giant plastic things around his neck. Ha-ha. Just the mental image made me laugh.

"So, you guys are twins, right?" Fang asked as he finished tying my hand up.

"Yeah. He's older by two minutes. Although, he's more of an idiot than me." I giggled slightly and then felt something cold on my face. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Fixing your face." Fang stated simply as he continued to wipe away the blood with an alcohol patch.

"I can do that myself!" I stated as I tried to squirm away. I heard him chuckle but he kept on wiping.

"I suppose you knew that you had wiped blood from your hand on your cheek and made it look like a murder happened then?" I believe that was the most I've ever heard this guy say. With a "humph," I crossed my arms and let him fix my face. It was the least I could do after I bit him.

"Hey, Max is back." Sleuth said as Fang finished putting butterfly bandages on my face. I quickly thanked him and then walked toward her with Sleuth. As she landed, I could see that she had been cuffed a couple of times too. "Man, you got beat up good too."

"I did?" she asked.

"Yup."

-

Max

I touched my face to see if they were indeed correct. I felt a small bit of blood and could feel my jaw swelling a bit. I really hadn't fought much yet I still get this mangled? I really needed to take up tae-kwon-do.

"Lemme see…" Sleuth mumbled as he searched through the supply kit Fang had brought. In fact, Fang was sitting on a rock and chuckling a bit. It was directed at me, I'm sure, but I let it drop. I could always get him back.

In the middle of my plotting, I felt something cool go under my chin. I snapped my eyes back to the front and noticed that sleuth had put an ice pack under it. The ice pack was so cold and it helped the swelling I'm sure, but I didn't want his hand that close to my throat.

"Jai, cwan dwo uit." I said to the best of my abilities. Sleuth chuckled and then began to put bandages on my face.

"Alright then. Hold still while I clean this cut." Absentmindedly I held up the icepack. Why could Fang clean out my wounds? I trusted him more than this guy any--

"OW!" I squealed as the alcohol touched the wound. As a reaction, I flailed my fist but was thwarted. Sleuth had managed to catch my hand just as it was about to hit him in the face.

"Settle down. I'm almost done." he said quietly as he placed a couple more bandages on my face. I looked up at him as he gently placed the last bandage on my face. His great gold eyes were covered up, but I could see that he was smiling. "Good thing the cuts weren't deep enough for scars! Then you'd be hideous!"

As he chuckled, I forgot everything nice he had done for me. This guy was just a pervert! With a dignified manner, I strode away from him and beckoned for the flock. Quietly, they filed in all tired and weary.

"So, where to?" Stormi asked as he and her brother joined the group. I thought momentarily. We were headed to D.C. Could the wolves keep up on foot though?

"Let's head toward D.C. Once we're there we can get food and find shelter." I commanded. I turned to the wolves and smiled, "I guess you guys can't fly, huh?"

"Nope. We'll keep up though." Stormi stated with a wink. As the flock and I rose into the air, I could see that Stormi and sleuth had started to walk. I had no clue how they were to keep up with us, but they were definitely an important part of the group now. Separation from them would mean no protection from Erasers. It would be in our best thoughts to keep them with us as long as possible. I hated that Fang was always right.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello yet again poppits! So…I've reached chapter four. Sadly, I've had no significant number of hits or reviews. I'm somewhat disappointed. However, I will keep writing for those of you who actually read this fic! Also, I will be gone this following week at camp so I will not be able to update. I'll do my best to scribble something down while I'm at camp to give you an update when I get back. Thank you for those who read this far!

**Disclaimer: I think you get the idea by now. Anything having to do with Maximum Ride isn't mine. The twins are. Don't sue me.**

-

Stormi

"We're going to D.C.?" I asked as my brother and I wove our way through the trees. I honestly was a little worried; I had never been to a big city before. Well, neither had Sleuth, but I was concerned about our appearance. I'm sure we could hide it if we tried, not that I'd personally want to.

"Yeah. I heard it's a big city. Maybe we can get some decent food there." He licked his fangs and winked toward me. "Heck, maybe we could rent a room with an actual _bed_." The returning dream of bedding--other than moss that is-- this came up a lot. We had only been on bedding once. I remember being just a pup and being taken in by some elderly people who took us for dogs. Ah, the heavenly comfort of the lush, fluffy, memories.

"Right. Why don't we just rent a car and order a T-bone too!" We both broke out in laughter. After a quick exchange of smiles, we both sped up. Who knew where the featherbrains were? Not like we cared or anything. Ok, so maybe we did. I say we, but I can't necessarily talk for my dearly beloved brother. Who was now chasing a butterfly…

After a good half-hour of running, I began to wonder just how far ahead or behind of the flock we were. Carefully, I pounced through the tree limbs and up to the top where I could see the sky more clearly. It was almost dawn now. The soft light suffused over the shadows and made everything a rosy grey color. Yet another day. With a sigh, I began to look around for the gaggle of idiots.

"Hey, looking for us?" Max stated as she perched on a branch behind me. I nodded with a smile before signaling for my brother to stop running with a high-pitched whistle.

"Yes, I was," I started in itching behind my ears, "Just how far away are we from D.C. exactly? We've been running a while and need to get some chow." Max took to the air momentarily and then landed yet again.

"I'd say another twenty minutes. We need some grub too. I don't think we have any left though…" I looked from her to the ground. With both Sleuth and me hunting it would take no time to gather meat.

"I'll volunteer Sleuth and myself to go hunting." Max seemed to light up for a second before a concerned look marred her features. "What?"

"Nudge is a vegetarian." she said flatly as the rest of the flock landed. I gave them a short wave before thinking of all the plants I knew were edible.

"Hmm… Well, we'll figure out something. I promise." With a leap, I was back on the ground. I repeated the conversation to Sleuth briefly before we headed out. In a matter of minutes, we'd be having a feast!

-

About ten minutes later, we had returned with some venison, wood pigeon, and a couple of quail. I eyed the meat hungrily and licked my lips. Personally, I couldn't remember the last time we had anything as delectable as venison.

As Sleuth skinned the animals, I notified the flock of our return. "Hey, we're back. I wouldn't go down yet if you get queasy though. Sleuth is skinning the animals for roasting." I saw Nudge's face turn bright green. Oh, please don't hurl. "Oh, I got you some nuts, berries and some mint to eat, Nudge." she let out a huge sigh and smiled. The green was fading. Phew.

-

Max

"We need to get back into the air." I stated as I picked off the last bit of a quail leg. Now that I think about it, it was like eating one of our own kind. The thought made me queasy for a bit, but the moment I took another bite of succulent meat, I had forgotten.

"I'm too fat to get up now…" Iggy mumbled as he plopped over on his back. The others were pretty stuffed too. The wolves sure did make a nice roast.

"Well," Stormi started in, "I'm ready to get going. I have places to go, people to see."

"So, you're going to the School's Institute and killing every living thing in the building wearing a white coat? Interesting. May I join?" Sleuth teased. For some reason I didn't think they were joking.

"Now, now. No need to get all pumped." I stated as I hoisted myself off the ground. "We'll all join." A round of laughter erupted. The sad thing was we were actually serious…

After getting back into the air, I noticed we were a lot closer than anticipated. Soon, we'd have to take to the ground due to lack of cover. By now I was wondering where the Erasers had gone. Had they gone ahead to D.C. or had Sleuth and Stormi pushed them back?

Just to think, we were almost at the Institute. We were so close yet so far. Honestly, I just wanted the stupid voice in my head to go away. Come to think about it, it had been quiet for a miraculous amount of time.

_Sorry, Max. I'm still here._ It chimed in as if on cue. Note to self: don't ever think about the voice not being there. The first clearing I saw, I ordered for everyone to land. We were approximately five miles from the nearest highway. It would be best to take cover now.

As we landed, we caught up with the wolves and continued on our way. The blood lust in their eyes had gotten stronger over the hours. I could almost feel the hatred oozing from their pores.

_You picked good allies this time Max. Don't make any more decisions without your full intent. You're supposed to be the one saving the world, remember? _Thank you voice for reminding me. Huh. I never realized I could qualify as being schizophrenic. Yet another thing special about me. The schizophrenia that is.

-

Stormi

Finally, we had reached the city. All of us were in the brush on the far side of town. Lazily, I watched the people pass as they went on their way to work. The number of handbags there was alonecould populate an entire city .

As I glanced sideways, I noticed Sleuth was staring at the sidewalk rebelliously. Max had told us to stay out of sight but the fresh concrete was in front of us just calling for us to run on it. However, the sight of a teenager with wolf-ears and a tail might not go over too well.

I turned away for a second. I hope that he wouldn't do anything stupid. Too late. Sleuth had managed to fall out of the bush and into a group of people dressed as samurai and ninja's. It took a lot to refrain from roasting his ass.

"Wow!" one of the samurai exclaimed, "That detail on your ears and tail is amazing! You could destroy us for the cosplay award." The group began to gather as Sleuth got back on his feet.

"Hmm…You think? I spent a good day or two making these. I don't think they are quite the right texture I was going for though. You think I could win the cosplay award? Where is the entry line at?" He had no idea what they were talking about or what he was getting himself in. It was beyond my power to stifle a laugh. He must've heard me for he said, "Oh! I made some for my sister too!"

Next thing I know, I'm standing in the middle of the group of freaks. Great. What a magnanimous , caring,exclusive idiot my brother was. Right at that moment, I don't think I would have taken credit as his sister.

"Amazing! Are you guys cosplaying Koga from Inuyasha? Or is it Koga and Zakuro from Tokyo Mew Mew?" A girl dressed as a geisha asked.

"Man! You guys are good! We thought we could pull off the whole twin wolf thing. Pretty neat, huh?" What the hell was I saying! If I couldn't get back to tell the flock of our abduction, I'd be screwed to the point of no return.

"Hey, why don't you guys walk with us to Otaku-con? That would be great if you could."

I looked at my brother. My brother looked at me. What were we going to do? We couldn't exactly do anything around town. We had no…money.

"Is there some prize money if we win?" I asked sweetly. All at once, they started in on what you won. Somewhere between a new Final Fantasy game, a new Playstation, and a year supple of ramen, I heard five thousand dollars. "Five k? You're kidding right?"

"I wish we were! It was ten thou last year." the samurai laughed a bit then examined us for a second. "I tell you what. I'll help you win this thing if you give me at least a hundred, and the Playstation bundle. Got it?" Sleuth and I were nodding as hard as two nodding idiots. We needed the money.

-

Max

"Where are they!" I asked aloud as we returned from the nearest park with food. I began to pass out the food. If they wanted some, they'd have to come back and get it.

-

Three hours passed before we heard rustling in the bushes. Instinctively, we all crouched in defensive positions. The Erasers had beaten us. Damn.

We watched in horror as two figures stepped out of the bushes. One was wearing a furry chest plate with bracers and had a long brown ponytail. The other was wearing a plain grey jumpsuit of some sort and had long purple hair. However, they both had a tail.

"Gah. This is so hot…" Stormi's voice said from the jumpsuit girl. As she pulled off the wig, you could see the piercings in the wolf-ears. So the other was Sleuth then? He looked a lot like a feudal era something or other. His ears were covered up by the wig and as he pulled his off, he sighed with relief.

"That had to be the most nerve wracking thing ever. Storm, no more suggestions from you." he mumbled while rubbing his ears and stripping off the chest plate at the same time.

"My suggestion? Might I remind you that you were the one to fall into the crowd of computer nerds?" Stormi shot back as she walked behind a tree to change. We had gone from changing in the clearing to behind a tree in one night. That was a good start.

"Yeah, well yah know." he muttered toward his sister before coming toward us. "The outcome of a most terrifying experience you ask? Cash!" With flair, he pulled out a wad of cash the thickness of a fist. Where did they get that?

"Never go to an Otaku-con. They are full of freaks." Stormi stated as she ruffled her hair and joined our circle.

Before long, they had spilled the entire story of the cosplay competition. They kept saying that they were pestered by everyone-- especially Stormi due to her large wolf ears.

"They were blabbing on about some Inuyasha nonsense and even one of the voice actors came and shook my hand. It was beyond crazy." he stated falling over on top of his sister. Sleuth was still in his kilt-ish thing and shirtless. We needed to work on him next.

"Well, it's almost eight now. What do you think about going into town?" I asked. It always felt safer to be mobile at night. Briefly, the wolves looked at each other before heading back behind a tree. When they emerged, Stormi looked like a goddess. She was wearing a hat to cover her ears and a black sleeveless turtleneck with a split skirt. The split ran all the way up to her hip but had bands of black in the panty area. She was also wearing new combat boots and make-up. If I didn't know better, she could be twenty. Sleuth came out in a pinstripe beret with a billand a nice blood red shirt with matching pinstripe coat and pants. Together, they were a masterpiece.

"Hey, we bought you some clothes too." Sleuth stated throwing bags at everyone. Within minutes, we were all redressed. I was wearing a sophisticated purple shirt with dark denim jeans and jacket. Iggy was dressed in a blue dress shirt and gray slacks, Nudge was wearing a cute yellow dress with a denim jacket to cover her wings, Gasman was wearing a T-shirt that said "No need for school. I'm already a genius." with new jeans and Angel was suited out in a puffy white ski jacket, an off-white turtleneck and cute new jeans. Lastly, I turned to Fang. He was decked out like a skater. He wore tight black pants, Adios, and a Fox hoodie. Sleuth had fixed his hair to resemble his own and even put eyeliner on him. We all looked like models more than poor orphaned mutants. Just where were we going anyway?

I felt something rip into the back of my head and yowled. "What are you doing!" I screamed grabbing at my hair.

"I'm fixing your hair. You look like a heathen. We can't go out to eat with you looking like this." Stormi stated simply. "Plus, I've already done all of the other girls' hair." Sure enough, she had. Nudge had her hair French braided with fake sunflowers scattered through them, and Angel had loose curls pulled into a high ponytail with a fluffy object. My hair wasn't even that long. What could she possibly do to it?

I felt something icky run through my hair followed by something resembling goop. Dear God. Could I just see it already? I had to admit though; it did feel quite lovely.

"Done." she stated handing me a mirror. She had spiked my hair out and made it look more separated. She had even taken scissors to it and trimmed up the back. A girl could get used to this. "Is everyone ready? Our reservation is for nine so we have fifteen minutes. Let's go!"

Sleuth filed in after his sister as they lead us through the streets of D.C. I was purely excited and scared all at once. Was it safe to be out like this? We _did_ blend in well with our new clothes though. Everyone stopped and looked at Angel adoringly and girls were all over Iggy and Fang. The wolves were laughing at some inside joke. Of all of us, they seemed to be picking up the most people. At every stop, at least two people came up to each. Nudge and Gasman were ecstatic. Last time we ate anywhere we had to take flight. Let's hope that it didn't happen again…

-

WHOO! Long chapter! Well, I'll see you guys after camp. I'll also have at least a chapter, maybe two ready for typing. I will miss you guys! REVEIW REVIEW REVIEW! When i get abck, I better have some reviews or no more chapters! evil laughter Yes, that was a threat.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi guys! Did you miss me? Well, it's ok if you didn't. I missed you guys though! I finished two chapters at camp. I have also realized that it's slowly turning into a drama of sorts. I actually love chapter five. It adds all sorts of things. Started reading Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever. I'm in love with Ari. Poor guy. He's so abused. I want to give him a hug. Anyway, **I will no longer be doing disclaimers**! Why? Takes too long to type. So, if you have a problem with it, DON'T READ IT!

Love! Noodles

-

Stormi

"Um…not tonight. Thanks for the offer." I said politely. This was the reason I didn't go out in public: men. Sleuth was hard enough to deal with; no need for a boyfriend.

"Max, are you going to cross the road anytime soon or stare at everything?" Sleuth asked from beside me. That girl was clueless. No matter how many times Sleuth messed with her head, she didn't catch that he was just kidding and got all flustered. What a loser.

"Huh? Oh, ok." she eventually managed as Sleuth yanked her across the crosswalk.

"Just where are we going anyway?" Gasman asked as he looked inside a store window.

"An all-you-can-eat buffet. You guys don't eat like birds. That's for sure. So, I decided we'd go where no suspicions would be raised." I answered as we walked in through the front door. We were welcomed with a warm smile and a blast of constant chatter.

"How many?" A lady behind the desk asked.

"Let's see," I turned to count, "Seven. Seven for the all-you-can-eat. Please." The lady smiled and told us to follow her. Luckily, she put us in a large table in the back. Good for an escape route if needed.

"The Erasers are after us again." Sleuth stated after the waitress left with the drink order. "They're just under a mile away now."

"How do you know this?" Fang challenged, obviously not believing him to be trustworthy.

"I can smell them. They smell like someone put throw-up, rotting meat, and garbage in a bag and let it rot. On top of that, Storm and I can smell better than all of you put together." He looked around briefly to the shocked places as our plates and drinks arrived. "Everyone, get food quickly. We don't want a fight here." As the flock got up to fill their plates he turned to me, "Any updates?"

I searched the mind channels for anything impertinent. As I searched, I stumbled upon a previous premonition. Sighing deeply, I thought, _Don't break down. Who knows how far in the future that'll be…_

"There will be two options." I stated as we piled food on our own plates. "Option A, get out of here ASAP and fight the bastards in the park; or Option B, stay here for a bit, be found, and have 'cops' escort us out."

"I take the cops are Erasers?"

"So it seems."

"Great."

"Double that."

Sleuth was staring off into space as we sat back down to eat. The flock hadn't yet returned and were still piling food on their plates. He was doing that dangerous thing again--thinking. I almost wished I had the power to read minds instead of seeing the future at times like these.

"What if we ran a distraction?" Sleuth suddenly stated. "What kind of time would that give the flock?"

"I know you're not serious."

"Dear, Dear Sister, I truly am."

Once again I surfed the channels, looking at all the possibilities. He was sacrificing himself for others. This surprised me some. As habit told, he did things for self-gain. Was he seriously sticking out his neck for a group of people we hardly knew? Or was he just wanting a future favor?

"More than enough time." I finally replied swallowing the last of my meal with one bite.

"Then let's go." He stated with a hard expression. I looked at him in awe. I needed a camera, a cell phone, _anything _to catch this moment. He was being serious. Not his usual giddy, go-lucky self. Who or _what_ did he want to protect so badly?

-

Max

"Wow! This is great!" I exclaimed as a pepperoni ravioli found it's way into my mouth. I noticed, as I looked around, that everyone was on _at least _their third plate.

About four plates later, everyone was full. I motioned for the waitress who came over to us quickly with her fake smile. Since the wolves brought our new clothes, I would pay for dinner. Consider it a personal thanks.

"Check please." I stated. The moment the waitress gave me a funny look I knew something was up.

"The other two in your party paid, then left. They said to tell you not to worry." She stated quite bewildered.

"Oh, thanks…" I managed to get out. Where were they! The Erasers were coming and they decide to split! Suddenly it hit me like an anvil in one of those cartoons. They were turning them off course. It wouldn't work of course, due to my microchip in my arm, but still…

"Dammit!" I swore quietly. So much for not cussing. It was too stressful to keep it in any longer.

"What's wrong Max? The Voice again?" Fang asked.

"We gotta go. Now. The wolves are running a distraction for us. The friggen idiots…" Fang's jaw set tight for a minute before he went emotionless again. So it bothered him too. At least I wasn't the only one. We both knew they could kick a small number of Erasers. What if they were in _packs_ though? Literally hundreds of Erasers would be ripping apart their predecessors limb for limb.

Hurriedly, I pushed the flock outside into the cool night air. We had to find them. They had bought us new clothes, made dinner for us, did our hair, laughed with us, and even helped fend off Erasers. What had we given back to them? Nothing. They were our allies, our _friends_. They needed our help.

-

Stormi

"Damn. You guys aren't as big of pushovers as the last bunch." I muttered as I blocked a kicked to the ribs with my own leg.

"I'd be fighting and not talking little girl!" The Eraser boomed as he knocked me off my feet. Just as he was about to rip out my throat, Sleuth launched out of nowhere and kicked the Eraser in the head. After a dull _thunk _I stood to see that it had hit his head on a sharp rock. Instant death. Lucky guy.

"C'mon! Keep moving. These guys are fast." Sleuth mumbled pulling me up over his head so I could pound two Erasers' chests in at once.

We continued to take down a considerable amount of Erasers, but more kept appearing from the woods. I hoped the flock was running and not doing anything stupid-- like for say, trying to come and save us.

"Long time no see Eraser Protocol Experiments Alpha 1 and Alpha 2." A familiar voice crooned from the shadows. The voice was smooth as silk, but dripped with an unnecessary venom. As the Erasers retreated, I saw the guy I had taken out earlier.

"What the hell do you want!" Sleuth asked, stepping in front of me protectively.

"How heartwarming. Alpha Experiment 1 is protecting his little sister. Sorry, it's not you we want." He stated with an evilly cold smile. One of the Erasers raised a gun and fired before I had a chance to react. Sleuth fell to the ground with a thud.

"Sleuth!" I wailed falling to me knees beside him. How come I hadn't seen this coming? I only saw _my_ death. Not Sleuth's… "You bastards." I growled.

I could feel the feral wolf blood running through my veins, infecting all my senses with adrenaline and rage. I stood, my eyes glazed red and my nails growing long and thick like claws.

"Come now Alpha Experiment 2. The School is waiting for you back on the west coast. Come freely and we won't hurt you…too bad." The leader licked his lips grimly and held out his hands. Come with him? Hell no.

"As if! You shoot my brother and expect me to come with you! Think again!" I shouted spitting on his hand. His face turned into a scowl and his features began to grow more grotesque. So, this is what my race had come to? How disgusting.

Just as he started to charge, a pair of arms wrapped around his neck in a tight hold. A single lock of golden hair told me it was Max.

"Don't you dare try anything Ari, or I'll kill you all over again." she said into his ear in a low voice. Suddenly, the space in front of me was filled with dark, raven-colored wings. Fang.

"Go take care of your brother. We'll take care of these goons." Fang said quietly without turning to face me. The tone of his voice was like nothing I had heard before. It was full of hate, anger, and rage. A chill went down my spine as I heard it, yet it was comforting.

Obediently, I went to sleuth and grabbed his hand. A faint pulse gave me a new hope. He was still alive. AS I clung to his chest, I felt his hand wrap around my back.

"Storm. Take this." he whispered weakly. My heart almost jumped out of my chest as he talked. He would make it. I knew he could. I hoped.

After detaching myself, I took the small bag from him and curiously opened it. A tear rolled down my cheek onto a hard leather cover and dusty yellow pages. It was a book. I ran my fingers over the cover feeling the soft gold letters and the hard binding. A notch was in the side of it where it had kept the bullet from hitting his heart.

"I knew you always wanted to learn how to read. Thought I could have you teach me when you did. Too bad I'm dying as I'm giving this to you." He let out a small laugh before he continued. "Sorry about the bullet hole though. I wasn't expecting to get shot."

"Shut up. You'll live. I need you. Please, stay with me. Please." I sobbed grabbing his chest again gingerly. I could see the tears swelling in his own eyes as he pulled me tighter.

"I'll try. Just for you, I'll try." He whispered slipping into unconsciousness.

As I hoisted him gently onto my back, I felt him automatically wrap his arm around my neck. He was going to be ok. He _had _to make it.

"Don't any of you get hurt!" I yelled out as they fought Ari's gang. Silently, I ran off into the forest. _Don't die…_ I pleaded not only to Sleuth, but to the flock mentally.

-

Max

"Fang behind you!" Gazzy yelled. I still had the headlock on Ari as Stormi left. Not only could I feel the thick hair on his neck, but I could smell the stale air from his breath as he grinned.

"Hello yet again Max." he seethed.

"Don't address me so casually you scum." I shot back angrily. I could see the hairs on the back of his neck raise before he spun out of my grip. I let him go. If I was really supposed to save the world he wouldn't touch me.

"Sorry Max, but Your Highness isn't the one we are after anymore. Alpha 2, 'Stormi', is." Somewhere in the clearing a beep was heard and Ari snapped. "Too bad I can't stay and devour your insides today Max. How about we reschedule?" With an evil laugh, he and his cronies scattered back toward the main road. In a blink of an eye, they were gone.

I turned to look at the rest of the flock. We were practically untouched. My eyes automatically fell on Fang last. His eyes looked cold and dead. Quietly, he swore and clenched his fist.

"Fang? Something wrong?" I asked reaching out to him.

"No. Nothing." He stated roughly pushing my arm away as he turned away from me. I followed his silhouette into the forest before watching the others file after him. _What did they want with Stormi?_ The thought slipped my mind as I dejectedly filed in behind the last in line.

_People don't always have reasons for actions,_ My Voice chimed in, _They just do it because they can. As for Stormi, that is all part of the test._ I rubbed my temples angrily after the Voice spoke. How come it never spoke in a normal language? I hit a nearby tree with my fist shattering a hole into it. So much for an uneventful evening.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys! Guess what! Chapter 6! This one is a short chapter. I'm sorry but it had to be a bridging chapter-esque thingy so don't go ballistamus on me. I'm happy that you guys are actually reading it! I have more fun typing up this one than I do my Twilight fic for some reason. Any ideas why? Well, thank you all very very very much for staying this long with me. So far. I've decided I want to finish this fic somewhere between fifteen and under chapters. Which probably isn't going to happen...But oh well!

Love, Noodles

-

Stormi

"Hey, how is he holding?" Max asked quietly when they returned. The blood running down my brow reduced my vision, but I could see everyone's look of despair as the flock crowded around.

"I think he's sleeping now. This whole time he's been losing blood though. I really have no clue to how much time he has left until he dies of blood loss…" I replied standing from my kneeling position. A sharp wave of pain flew up my body from my upper thigh. I grimaced taking in the nicely sized gash on my leg. _An Eraser must've nicked it when I was fighting, _I thought absentmindedly. They were probably going for my stomach and missed. What losers. I'd definitely have to patch it up though…

Slowly, I hobbled toward the first aid box in the next clearing over. I began to open a box when a hand came down on top of mine, snapping the lid back down.

"Sit." Fang demanded flatly. I glared at him. Who was he to tell me what to do? I was a big girl. I could do things myself. Did I mention my leg was on fire though?

"I could do it myself and save you the trouble." I muttered as I plopped myself onto the ground. He didn't say anything, but began to withdraw items from the first aid kit. The moment he touched my thigh, I felt my cheeks flush with heat. Thank God, it was dark. "Uh…that's a little…uh…er…just don't get any ideas." I mumbled clenching my fists to my sides to prevent beating him upside of the head. When I looked away, I felt him fumble the bandage and cough briefly. What was that for?

"Done." He finally said. I met his dark eyes for a moment, but quickly turned away shyly.

"Your hand. Move it please or I'll have to smash your face in." I stated nodding toward his hand that was still resting on my thigh. Quickly, he withdrew his hand and handed me alcohol preps and band-aids all at once.

After I cleaned out the cut on my brow, he leaned in closer for a better look. "Man, it might need stitches." Fang whispered as he moved his head about my forehead. Gingerly, I reached up to touch the wound. Sure enough, Fang was right. It totally needed stitches.

"Yeah and where am I going to get them? A hospital for mutant freak kids? A veterinarian office?" I stated rather sourly. I could tell there was a bit of anger in my voice. _Why do I have to be different? _I thought clenching my fists while holding a chuck of my pants.

"I know how you feel. We all do." Fang said quietly. As I glanced up, I saw the most brilliant thing ever: Fang smiling. My heart about dropped out of my chest and ran circles around him it was so gorgeous.

I flashed him back a quick smile and attempted to stand, still fully aware of the gaping hole on my brow and the fiery pain that shot up my side when I did. The moment I got up though, I fell back down. So much for doing it on my own. What a great evening.

First, well, first was dinner (which was scrumptious)--let me rephrase that. First _bad _thing to happen was the Eraser attack, second, Sleuth ending up shot…in the chest, and third, my forehead had a gaping wound (which was giving me a headache from hell) and my legs weren't functioning properly. Oh, joy. Not.

As I sat and cursed under my breath, I failed to realize I was standing on two feet again. Praise the heavens! I'd been healed! Giddy from such lucky events, I celebrated with a nice high jump. Halfway through the jump the pain shot up my side yet again. Damn. So much for the whole being healed thing.

I felt something pull me down forcibly with a grunt. What makes grunting noises and yanks me down? Your answer: Fang. Sheepishly, I smiled and patted his shoulder. I hoped I didn't whack him in the head with an elbow or anything…

"I wouldn't jump on your leg, or me, if I were you." He stated in his usual monotone. Good thing he wasn't hurt. Speaking of hurt…

"Sleuth!" I yelled out suddenly taking off on one leg. No more than three hops later, I felt an arm slip around me and take weight off my leg.

"Has anyone ever told you you're beyond being stubborn?" Fang asked as he helped me hobble through the trees. I gave him a sideways glance and smiled to the best of my abilities. Tears welled up all over again. "Hey…what…what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I mumbled wiping away a tear, "It's just that Sleuth always says that."

-

Max

The flock and I had huddled ourselves around Sleuth. The deep gash in his side was still seeping blood and was getting wider by the minute.

"Dang. He's lost a ton of blood…" I muttered kneeling beside him to examine the wound.

"Poor guy. That had to hurt…" Gazzy stated with a wince as a sudden gush of blood erupted from the valley of flesh.

"How bad is it, Max? Iggy asked.

"Well, to say the least, no band-aid could fix it." I replied with a grim look even though Iggy couldn't see me. Speaking of seeing people…where was Fang? He had gone to help Stormi with the first aid but he hadn't returned yet. For all I knew, he could be having the longest conversation of his life! Worst of all: I wouldn't be there.

Turning to the sound of footsteps, I saw Stormi hopping quickly while Fang was dragging along behind her. I suppose he was trying to help her, but man is she stubborn. Stormi huffed and puffed all the way over to the back of our group.

"Move! Don't just stand there! I need to see him!" She yelled pushing us aside. She looked at her brother and instantly tears began to flow. Falling to her knees, she hugged his chest gingerly.

"Sleuth…Sleuth please don't die…" Sleuth shifted and managed to open his eyes. Stormi's eyes were dry and red from crying, but the tears somehow resurfaced.

"Storm," he started in grabbing her hand, "is everyone A-Ok?" He smiled weakly as she nodded frantically. "Don't worry. I already told you I didn't plan on dying." He said noticing she was still crying.

As I watched her give him a hug one last time before he closed his eyes again, I felt something wet drop on my cheek. I was crying? Why?

_Max, you need to be open to your own feelings. Don't blind yourself with lies._ The Voice stated. What did it mean by that? What feelings? I was just crying because Stormi and Sleuth were beyond close for brother and sister. Perhaps they were--

"Twins." Fang stated noticing my confused stare. I was going to say "going out", but obviously, I was a crappy guesser. I must've screwed my face up hideously when he said it because he smiled.

"No way. They look nothing alike! How would you know anyway?" I muttered so they couldn't hear my gossiping to Fang. They were so different from each other. Stormi had light blue-grey hair and was outgoing while Sleuth had black hair and was quiet and sarcastic.

"It's true. Storm told me as I was being drug along." He stated before retreating toward the forest. Did he just call Stormi "Storm"? What was up with that? Just as I was about to ask he turned to us all, "Give them some alone time guys."

"Night." Everyone chimed in before exiting the clearing.

"Max…" A frail voice called after me. I walked toward Sleuth slowly. Personally, I didn't know what he would say, but the guy had a huge bleeding wound (or two) in his side. I could cut him some slack just this once.

"Yes?"

"I know I'm your favorite and all, but please get some sleep tonight. However, if you must, you can mourn over me as I slip into unconsciousness. Sleuth gave me a fanged smile. Fro a moment, he had me going. I actually thought he might be sweet on the inside. Yeah, right. He was just a pervert. A sarcastic one at that. After that comment, my mood had changed.

"I hope you die in your sleep!" I yelled stomping off into the forest backdrop.


	7. Chapter 7

Hi! You know, for once I really don't have anything to say. I'm thinking of adding a twist in a couple of chapters but I can't decide on what. I hate having writer's decisive block. Anyway, please review etc. etc.

Noodles

-

Stormi

What was going on? My brain hurt and I couldn't tell the pictures very well, as I had another painful blast of premonitions. Out of all the flashes of light and bits of sound, I remember two things: Fang and lots of spikes and other obstacles.

Quickly, I bolted up right and began to rock back and forth. Of all my future seeing experiences that had to have been the most painful thus far. After the pain had died down a little, I noticed I was crying a bit. Was there something that I subconsciously noticed that would turn out hideous? I prayed it was just from the pain. Another cataclysmic event like Fang being shot--I couldn't handle.

Quietly, I padded through the trees just weaving around for no reason. I needed to sort out my thoughts. Why was I crying? What were all these clues to? Randomly, the words "turn right" popped into my head. Confused I did so and nothing happened. If Erasers were about to pop out of the woods, I'd be pissed beyond all imagination.

After a while of walking, I found a cliff on the edge of the forest. Up above millions of twinkling stars danced on a carpet of deep blue. I was surprised we could even see them due to DC being just fifteen minutes away (if you weren't a mutant freak).

I sat on the cold, wet earth and began to think back. What could the "turn right" possibly mean? I could "turn right" off the cliff, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Soon, I had forgotten my real reason for coming and began to think back to when Sleuth and I were free. We could run anywhere we wanted, live with the wolves, and reminisce on the few years we had spent with our parents before we were turned into what we were today.

One again, I found myself crying. Sleuth was all I had left. Our parents had been taken away, our freedom, our rights to do anything a normal teenager to do-- anything that didn't include my present life. Even though I was over the trauma of Sleuth becoming "holey"-- get it? He had a hole in his chest? Ok, so maybe that wasn't the best joke. At least that was proof I was better! Well, he also had the Death Valley carved into his side too. That lowered his chances of survival, but we were scrappy. I mean, we'd escaped from a bag the School had weighted down with rocks and thrown into a river. He could make it.

Just a wiped away my tears and began to smile again, I felt a presence behind me. Rotating my ears about, I noticed they were close. I got to my feet and transformed into a wolf. Maybe the Erasers wouldn't attack a loveable, cuddly lump of fur. Then again, I hadn't tried and not intended to do so…

After reversing my transformation, I hurriedly put on clothes. I did not, I repeat, did not want the hairy, ugly, heathens to look at my beautiful and sultry skin. That would be worse than death in my opinion.

I finally had my bra on when the thing followed me appeared on the edge of the forest. Damn. I'd have to fight in a bra and shorts. Goody. Did I mention I was still barefooted too?

As the supposed Eraser neared, I noticed something on its back. A bomb? No, it was too elongated and wide to be a bomb. Wings? Suddenly, I began to freak out. _The Erasers have wings! I can't fight that! They'll dive bomb me and make me a shish-ka-bob! _I thought feeling my fingers beginning to twitch. I'd have to kill the bastard fast.

As I charged forward, the thing seemed to stop momentarily. I took this chance as an opportunity and launched myself onto it. Just as I was about to hit it after we had hit the ground, I noticed it wasn't an Eraser. Nope. Not even the same species.

"What was that for?" Fang asked holding up his hands in surrender. I blinked a couple of times. My brain wasn't processing correctly. I had just taken out Fang. Not an Eraser. Huh. Was it really Fang? Perhaps I was just dreaming all over again. I still was straddled over him with a hand clenched to his collar and my hand drawn back. "You know, this really hurts. Not only is there a rock in my back but there is a girl on top of me."

Then it hit me. I had tackled Fang, not an Eraser. That was good. Other than, I was still just wearing my bra and shorts… "Oh my god! I'm sorry!" I exclaimed jumping off him. I smiled meekly and shrugged. "Sorry, I thought you were an Eraser. How did you know I was here though?"

"I'll answer that question when you put on a shirt."

"Oh, yeah." I muttered before blushing a deep crimson color. After pulling on my shirt and shoes, I trekked back toward Fang who was now sitting on the cliff. "Anyway, back to our conversation, how did you know I was here?"

"I followed you."

"That's lame." I stated curling my knees into my chest. I had figured he'd flown overhead and then just caught me by surprise, or wanted to secretly cut my throat where no one could hear me scream. I noticed something. I was paranoid beyond reason.

We sat in silence for a good fifteen minutes. Once again, I began to smile randomly as I remembered the cozy bed that the elderly couple had set up for us and everything from staying with Shadow's wolf pack, to the time we were chased by the dogcatchers.

"What are you thinking about? I've never seen you smile like that before." Fang asked glancing sideways at me.

"Nothing you couldn't relate to. Mostly just being able to do what I want to do, going where I wouldn't be part of some big scheme, living a life unburdened by Erasers and the whole School scenario. Basically, anything that isn't my life now. Plus my parents."

"You knew your parents?" Fang asked in a somewhat disbelieving voice. I nodded and thought back to all the times I had when I was just a normal kid. When they had been alive still.

"Yup. Sleuth and I both did for the best three years of our lives. You see, we weren't originally wolves; we used to be ordinary kids. I can still remember the day they took us away and killed my parents. Sleuth always blamed himself for being too little to stop them, but in all actuality, it happened so fast we couldn't do anything. What could a regular three-year-old human do about that situation anyway? It's not like we were super powerful and genetically enhanced like we are now.

There are vicissitudes to being able to run fast, be strong, and transform, but that isn't what life is about. Life is about living. I'm proud of who I am today thanks to my genetics even though they are both a curse and a blessing. My parents would want me to live too. I must have some purpose on this earth that I need to fulfill. I need to live, for them, for my friends, for Sleuth. Right now, Sleuth needs me the most. We are the only thing we have left. Therefore, I must fulfill my duty as a sister to him and make sure he pulls through."

"You're wrong." Fang stated quietly. I glanced sideways noticing he was staring at the earth. "You have us now. The whole flock supports you two and all you have done for us." Even though it was dark, I could see him blush. Did the flock really care for us like that?

"Thanks," I muttered with a smile, "Let's get back now. The others will wake up pretty soon."

"Pretty soon meaning six hours." Fang stated. We both chuckled and started along back toward the campsite. "Turn right again" suddenly flew into my head. Suddenly, I stopped and shook my head. What was happening to me? Was I going schizophrenic? It was _my_ voice, but why did those thingsrandomly pop into my head? Fang looked at me quizzically, "Don't tell me you have a voice in your head too?"

I shook my head and sat on the nearest rock. Coordinates were scrolling in my brain along with the random flashing and bits of talk once again. "No," I said through the pain, "I just can see into the future. Although, sometimes it does get quite painful." Slowly, the images began to recede and my breathing became steadier.

"Are you ok?" he asked noticing my blinking rapidly.

"Ow. Yeah, it just feels like a train hit me, and then backed up over me numerous times."

"So, these things are like migraines on steroids?" I nodded then he continued, "Are you sure you don't have a voice in your head that tells you what to do? That happened to Max."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Never heard another voice in my head other than my own. Now let's go." A few steps later, I fell through into a hole. "Dammit." I swore attempting to pull my leg out of the whole.

"Here let me help." Fang stated. The moment he put his foot on the patch of dirt I was on, the ground shook. Oh, fuck. This couldn't be good…

The earth folded and crumbled beneath us sending us into a black hole. When I awoke, I was on top of Fang in a crumpled position. Up above, you could see the stars and even the hole we fell into. Something wasn't right though. As I got off Fang, he sat up and looked around. It was dark in the hole. ICouldn't see a thing other than the night sky. We both looked at each other confused.

I ran my hands across the ground. It was metal. Slowly, I worked my way to a wall where there was more metal. What the hell was going on? Bright lights suddenly clicked on. The whirring sound from their engines hurting my ears.

"Welcome Stormi. Long time no see sweetie." An unfamiliar voice boomed. I looked around me. There was nothing but metal and even the night sky had disappeared under a sheet of metallic grey.

"Who the hell are you!" I demanded turning as full 360 degrees to make sure no one was attacking from behind. I pulled Fang up as I did so and then began to growl. How did they know my name? What was all this metal?

"Now, now Stormi. I will tell you all if you can make it through this maze. Is that such a hard price to ask?" I growled louder and bared my fangs.

"What the hell are you up to? I'm not a rat." I barked glaring at the nearest wall.

"Ah, but you are a major part of saving our world. I can't believe Max has been reluctant enough to decline our offer. You see, you two belong together in a team. Oops. I've said too much. Have fun!" Angrily, I punched a wall.

"What the hell do you mean by that!" I shot back but the voice did not answer. I looked at Fang. He looked at me. "We are going to have to do this. Whether we want to or not." He nodded and we took off into the metallic maze and further away from a life of freedom we both sought.


	8. Chapter 8

Hola! Yes, I'm back for an eighth installment. Aren't you guys happy! Well, I am. You know why? Because some action is about to kick up! That's why! So get excited and get to reading! I will also tell you that I have drawn Sleuth and Stormi. They are cute! I'll give you a link next chapter of where to see them.

Noodles loves you!

Noodles

-

Stormi

"Damn we've already been here before!" I yelled smashing another dent in the metal wall. I looked around and noticed something. We weren't going anywhere. "Fang, we've been going in circles."

I sighed deeply, angrily and looked around for something like a camera or a control panel. "What if I flew above the maze? Then we could see where to turn." Fang suggested. This guy was a great help. No honestly, he was. He was smart and _he could fly_. Perfect for getting us out of this situation.

"Good idea. Go for it." I said with a nod. Swiftly, he took up into the air. A familiar tingle worked its way up my leg and finally into my body. The bastard was shocking me! I could feel my blood almost boiling and my fingers twitch.

"No cheating kids." The intercom boomed. Fang looked down, saw me clenching my jaw against the pain, and landed. Instantly, the jolt of electricity was released. The tingle started to die down. Although I was breathing heavily, I nodded toward Fang and continued. There had to be a solution to this thing.

After dodging several obstacles, I began to feel like this was a never-ending process. Perhaps they were going to kill us at the end anyway. I didn't have time to think about that though. A giant boulder had dropped behind us now. This was not only turning into a pain, but an Indiana Jones movie. Uber Wonderbar.

"Turn right." Dammit. The voice was back. Well, my voice that was inside my head was back. Quickly, I grabbed Fang's arm and jerked him to the right. The boulder kept rolling straight and then I heard a crash. Breathing heavily, I noticed we were in a dead end.

"Fang…huff huff…I'm not fit for this…" I commented with a smile.

"Huff…neither…huff…am I." he said hunching over and grabbing his knees. We both had an out-of-air laugh and turned back. The moment we did so, I heard a click. Slowly, the wall in front of us melted and another part of the maze was revealed. That would've been great had there not been at least fifty gun-wielding Erasers waiting for us.

-

Max

The early morning sun had awakened me from my sleep. I estimated it was about seven a.m. due to the position of the sun. Time to wake everybody up.

Slowly, I rose to my feet and rubbed my eyes to regain my bearings. Starting with the youngest, I woke everyone up. I then walked over to wake up the wolves. Sleuth was still asleep and Stormi wasn't there. Come to think of it, Fang wasn't over by the flock either…

"Everybody! Get up wake up now! Stormi and Fang are missing." I shouted grabbing my bag and throwing granola bars at everyone.

"What's going on?" Sleuth said groggily, propping himself up on his elbow. I turned quickly and smiled. He would freak if he knew his sister was missing. "My sister's missing isn't she? Guess I have to get out of bed then."

"No! Your injuries aren't…oh my gosh. They _are_ healed." I stated noticing that the bullet hole and the scratches had left nothing. No scars even. These guys were amazing. They could heal overnight and do Eraser-y things? I would hate to go against hem…

After everyone was ready, I threw Sleuth a stick of jerky. "You'll need some energy." He smiled and downed the jerky in one bite.

"Yeah. Catching Stormi is sometimes impossible. She likes to disappear." Sleuth stated with a chuckle. His voice was typical of an Eraser's--smooth, deep, and dreamy. Wait…hadn't we already discussed this? My brain must be going into jell-o mode.

"Oh, here's your shirt. I managed to get some blood out of it. Although black doesn't show blood very well…" I muttered tossing him his shirt. He looked at it for a split second and then tossed it on top of his belongings.

"Thanks. Sorry I can't wear it yet though. My wounds have to have air circulating on them so they can dry out." he stated moving out into the forest. "Let's go."

-

Stormi

Shit. I looked toward Fang who was looking at me and gulped audibly. This was going to be fun. There had to be someway to take them all out. They weren't moving yet, maybe they were only supposed to shoot when we came inside the room.

"Any ideas?" I asked Fang. Quickly, his eyes did a search of the area.

"Get to the shapes. They have something to do with this." he stated taking of into the room. I followed behind him knocking out two Erasers that were trying to get at his back.

"Fang! They all have shapes on their backs!" I shouted over the grunts of some of the Erasers. I take it they didn't like guns. Most of them were doing hand-to-hand combat and only shot when close.

I jumped as two Erasers charged at me. Their heads collided and they fell over backwards, dazed. It was amazing to see that my predecessors were no older than three or four. Yet they looked like adults. They had thick skulls too. The pair that had collided with each other was now aiming their guns at me. Damn.

Quickly, I grabbed a nearby Eraser and shielded myself from the onslaught of racing bullets. I heard three shots hit the one I was holding and let him slump to the floor. Gracefully, I leapt into the air and came crashing down on top of the first Eraser's head before jumping and grabbing the other's neck with my feet.

Skillfully, I placed my hands on the ground and flipped him into the other who, on impact, went spiraling into a red square. After a short buzzing sound, holes opened in the ground and Erasers fell through howling and cursing. Ok, that worked. Only thirty-seven to go.

I looked around for more symbols but saw none. Suddenly, a furry hand grabbed my neck and began to pull at my throat. I clawed at him and bit down hard enough to draw blood. The Eraser laughed and whispered into my ear, "That's no way to treat an old friend."

Fang rammed two Eraser's heads together before seeing me. This looked great. I was being schooled by a four-year-old.

"Ari you bastard! Let her go." Fang growled. Ari chuckled again and made his grip on me tighter. Fang clenched his jaw as the Erasers all backed up toward the wall. This couldn't be good.

"Nice seeing you again Fang. How is Max? I hope she's dead by now." He seethed dropping putrid saliva on my shoulder. Fang clenched his fists and started toward him when I heard a voice behind Ari that made my heart jump.

"I wouldn't play with my sister without my permission you scum." Sleuth whispered in his ear before grabbing the back of his neck with his hand. I could feel the pressure around my neck decline as Ari gurgled. The Erasers were starting to creep forward when a sudden streak of colors emerged from behind me taking out as many Erasers as possible. The flock had come!

A new energy surged through me. With a smile, I bit down on Ari's arm to my fullest extend hearing him wail. The arm around my neck suddenly, loosened and I ducked out. Sleuth then took Ari, spun him around, and proceeded to whack him across the face with his fist.

"Don't you ever touch my sister you slob." He boomed before running to my side. "Are you ok?" I nodded and he smiled. "Good. That means I can kick the crap out of these guys." He growled launching himself on a nearby Eraser. While the others were fighting, I had time to see all of the shapes on the walls.

Quickly, I ran over to a blue triangle. As I pushed it in, the guns flew to the walls as if magnetically. Now that the guns were out of hand, there was only one thing the last shape could do.

"Fang! Hit that circle!" I yelled over the sound of punching, screaming, and growling. Fang looked up from his opponent to me and noticed that I was pointing toward the ceiling. He flung himself off the ground and looked down. "Go go!" That seemed to be enough evidence that there was no shocking in this room, for he happily pressed it in.

Ari was just about to launch himself at my throat when something tied around his wrists and ankles making him fall at my feet. I smiled manically and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Here, you can have your spit back." I took off my over shirt and proceeded to wipe it on his face. "Oh, one more thing…" I stated as I began to walk away, "I'm not your friend!" I yelled as I kicked him in the face. He let out a menacing growl, but I couldn't help but chuckle.

"You just wait Stormi. You'll be ours before long. I'll get you and make you dog food you just wait!" He yelled as I walked out of the room behind everybody else. I'd honestly like to see him try.


	9. Chapter 9

What a refreshing weekend at the lake! I feel like I have of a plethora of new ideas. I also finished School's Out Forever. The ending was crap. I hate it when you are reading a good book then it has a crappy ending. I don't care what author you are or if you are "acclaimed". WRITE FRIGGEN BETTER ENDINGS! End of story. Period. Close quotations.

Love,

Noodles.

-

Stormi

So where to now you ask? Well, that would be a good question. If you have any ideas please send me a letter or something. Otherwise, I'm lost.

We had followed the hallway into a dark room but found no one there. Cautiously, I searched the room. The only thing I could see or smell was human stench. Antiseptic too. I'd have to say it was a white coat.

"What the h--" I started in before noticing Max's "don't-you-dare-cuss-in-front-of-these-little-kids" glare. "--alibut. There isn't anything here. Are they just playing mind games with us or what? First, they tell me I'm supposed to help save the world and now I don't get any answers! Even after going through that damn maze! UGH!" Halfway through my little ramble, I noticed my sailor's mouth had returned and Max had to cover the little ones' ears.

Max looked at Fang who nodded. A confused look donned her face as she dropped her hands from the kiddies' ears. "What do you mean 'help save the world'?" she asked.

"The guy in the loudspeaker said that I was supposed to be your partner in saving the world. Frankly, I don't wanna." I stated kicking a small metal cube across the room.

"Looks like you made it out Alpha2. Congratulations! You even brought the flock? Kudos for you then." The box chimed in, unsuspected. All of us turned our heads to face it at once. I looked from Sleuth to Max before rushing forward and kicking the box harder.

"I…want…my…answers! I hope you can fucking feel that you asshole!" I yelled denting in the cubic speaker quite drastically. Max rolled her eyes and covered ears yet again. Iggy chuckled and Sleuth was practically cracking up.

"Don't tell me you made us do that whole maze for nothing." Fang stated kneeling beside the box.

"Well, no. It's all training you see. Everything you are put through is supposed to help save our--" The box said.

"Screw the world. They can save them selves for now. Tell me. Why do you want me so bad? What about Sleuth?" I shouted shaking the box furiously.

"I told you already. You're supposed to be Max's partner and together you can--"

"Don't you dare say that phrase. I'll find you, hunt you down, and snap your neck if you mention saving the world one more time."

"Ok, well then, about Sleuth. You see, even though he doesn't have advanced skills like your future seeing, he is helpful."

"How?" I more demanded than asked.

"He's the one who's supposed to find the ones who are destroying the world. Thus the name Sleuth. Together, with Max, you make a total recombinant team." It said falling into silence.

"So that's how I got my name. Nice." Sleuth mumbled as he scratched where the gashes had been on his side.

"What about us? The rest of the flock." Fang asked still crouching on his feet like a bird of prey. The box was silent. I shook it a couple of times and saw something flashing.

"Get out…" I mumbled dropping the box suddenly.

"What's--" Max started in.

"Go!A friggen bomb is about to blow!" I yelled running out of the room. Outside in the maze, the Erasers had been unbound and were now hungrily eyeing us. A maze driven by a mad maniac, Erasers, and a bomb about to blow. Why couldn't I have a _normal_ day?

As the Erasers followed, I turned effortlessly toward the entrance. Somehow, the directions kept popping into my head. At the end of the line, I looked up. The metal hatch was gone revealing a bright, blue sky. Now how was I going to get up that?

"Hold on." Fang stated grabbing my waist and jumping upward. With a few swift wing beats, we were well clear of the trees--and the underground maze. As I looked back, I could see Max and Iggy carrying Sleuth.

Just as Gazzy had cleared the treetops, a bright ball of orange and yellow erupted from within sending debris high into the atmosphere.

"Whoa! Ig! Man, this is awesome!" Gasman shouted practically jumping up and down while flying. I gave a fanged smile and then waved over to Sleuth.

"Hey! How ya doin' back there?" I shouted out. Sleuth momentarily stopped yapping to Max and Iggy to reply to me.

"This is so much fun! Why couldn't we have wings! I demand a recall!" he stated shaking his fists angrily into the air while Max and Iggy struggled to keep him from moving.

"I'm not like, you know, heavy or anything am I? If so, I can walk." I suggested to Fang as we flew over a clearing. I was a female and all so, I shouldn't weigh half as much as Sleuth, but I wanted to make sure…

"Nope not at all. In fact, you're lighter than I thought." Fang said with a slight smile. It was true. Even though I had a small frame, I had muscles like crazy. I had muscles where you thought muscles couldn't exist. Yet somehow, I was light.

"Whatever you say. If I get heavy though I suggest you put me down before you drop me." I said with a shrug. No point in arguing. I was enjoying myself.

"We need to get out of here." Max said pulling up next to Fang while holding onto part of Sleuth. "Somewhere far far away."

"Max I hardly think this is a fairy tale, love. More like an action adventure flick maybe, but not a fairy tale." Sleuth said in a mock English accent. Max blushed and then continued ignoring him.

"Any suggestions?" Fang pondered the question for a moment before shrugging.

"Why don't you ask the wolves? They might know of somewhere." He finally suggested. Max considered this and nodded.

"Ok honorary guests, where to?" Max asked shifting her gaze between the two of us. Sleuth and I looked at each other and smiled. We knew exactly where we wanted to go.

"So uh…how far are you willing to travel?" I asked sweetly. Max looked at us suspiciously, but replied to my answer promptly.

"Anywhere. Just not overseas." She stated with that air of suspicion still about her.

"We want to go to Cancun!" We both blurted out at once. Sleuth and I smiled happily. We had seen millions of travel brochures on the place. So why not suggest going there?

"You have got to be kidding me…" Max mumbled already regretting her decision. "Then again, everything thus far has happened in the US either on the east or west coast. If we escape the country perhaps they will leave us alone."

"You're taking my island offer? Are you?" Angel asked happily zooming up on the other side of Fang.

"Where are we headed? I hope it's sunny and has beaches and places to play. I hope it isn't where the School is. Wouldn't that be great Max huh?" Nudge rambled on.

A defeated look washed over Max. "We are headed to Cancun, Mexico." As she sighed, the rest of the flock, (excluding Fang) shouted in joy. Below us, a small parade was going on. I had almost completely forgotten it was the Fourth of July.

"Wait, before we go there is one thing I want to spend the rest of my money on…" I said with a wicked smile.

-

Max

"Gasman! Stay away from those…it's no use. I give up." I muttered as Gazzy and Iggy ran from fireworks stand to fireworks stand. First Cancun, now this? The wolves were beyond crazy.

"So, I'd like the biggest set of fireworks you've got." Sleuth said to the dealer. When the dealer gave him a skeptical look, he waved a wad of cash in his face. "Personally, I don't even care if it's illegal."

Stormi had taken Nudge and Angel to the smaller fireworks section and was bartering with the salesperson about the snakes.

"So, these are supposed to be green? They're the exact same thing as the black ones. How come they cost more?" She asked raising a brow. Poor guy. He wouldn't be able to win this battle.

After a minute or two, the guy assisting Sleuth had returned with the biggest set of fireworks I had ever seen. Two hundred pieces and five tubes to launch them out of. Forget the in-town fireworks. We could make our own.

-

On the way out to the country, I had to keep the pyromaniacs (Iggy, Gazzy, and Sleuth) from blowing anything up in the car. Where did the car come from? Surprisingly enough, Stormi had stolen a driver's license from someone who lookedlike Sleuth. She even bought insurance just to get a car. It was a piece of crap to say the least, but hey, it ran.

As we wove down the road, I stared at the passing scenery. It was so slow by car. I realize it would have looked awkward to leave without a car but this was the middle of nowhere we were talking about. _No one would ever see us_. So why did we need a car then?

"Sleuth, where did you learn to drive? You're a ton better than Max." Gazzy asked leaning toward the middle to ask. I felt my blood boil slightly. I didn't wreck and was just fine at driving. I had gotten us to safety, right?

"I worked on a farm for a while. I had to drive the combines, tractors, and the hay truck. I got pretty used to it." He said nonchalantly.

In what seemed like forever later, we turned off the main road and onto a strip of uninhabited meadow. Quickly, everybody piled out of the car and began to set up their ammo.

Pop! Something beside my shoe went off. I jumped sideways and yelped a little. Who did that!

"Gotcha!" Gazzy giggled waving a Black Cat and a lighter. Where did he get that? Where did everybody get the lighters?

"Relax. Shoot stuff to smithereens." Stormi suggested placing some Black Cats, a roman candle, and a lighter in my hand. Thus ended the search for who was giving out lighters. Note to self: Destroy lighters later.

Twilight had almost engulfed us now. With a sigh, I gave in and lit a Black Cat. Pop! Score! Right next to Gazzy.

"Hey! What was that for!" He demanded throwing more at me.

"Someone come help me set this baby up!" Sleuth shouted, moving toward the trunk of the car. Of course, Iggy and Gazzy volunteered. This should be interesting.

All the while, I was tense and not in the mood for fireworks. I was afraid Erasers would pop out of the bushes and we'd be caught off guard. The night had enveloped us in its blanket by now. The moon shone like silver mercury over the clearing.

I closed my eyes and was almost asleep when…BOOM! One of the huge fireworks exploded and sprinkled its fiery plumes toward the earth. WHIRR BOOM! Went a second round of fireworks that each had a different color and shape.

Sleuth was making faces in the light that the fireworks made before darkness washed over again. In the next burst of light, he blew me a kiss. Instantly, I flushed, but couldn't help but laugh. What a dork.

-

Stormi

I watched as the gigantic fireworks erupted and then sprinkled its contents like confetti. We had spent almost five hundred dollars on these fireworks. The flock had better be having fun. If not? Well, we could find a punishment.

"Your brother is a pyromaniac I take it?" Fang asked as he watched my brother light a stick on fire and twirl it around.

"Yeah. Hopelessly." I laughed seeing him drop it and catch a small patch of grass on fire. I motioned for Fang to sit. Obediently, he did so and we sat in silence watching the show. "So, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"When you usually talk to me either whenMax tells you to or something's wrong." I commented. With a smile, I turned to face him. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. You don't have to tell me either."

Fang stared at the ground for a bit. Perhaps he wasn't going to tell me after all.

"I'm just stressed I guess. I know that nothing can be normal for the flock and me, but I keep dreaming that someday it will all be normal. That this is all a dream." He whispered while plucking at a piece of grass. I smiled and turned to face the fireworks.

"Yeah, well. I think all of us do. Even humans. Something goes wrong, your life isn't good, whatever the reason, we all hope that it's just something that will…disappear. Thing is, it isn't. The only way to take care of those things is to do something about it. Start moving in a positive direction instead of blaming people or yourself for it.

The flock depends on you and Max so much. I can hardly think for a moment you haven't lead a semi-decent life. I can almost guarantee that you have had your vicissitudes and your share of problems, but you guys stick together through thick and thin. Sorry, I must be rambling non-sense again." I chuckled then sighed.

"No. It makes perfect sense. You're basically saying 'do whatever it takes to move forward right?" I thought about it a minute before turning to reply.

"Yeah. Something like th--" I didn't get to finish my sentence because I was attacked. I was being kissed. What the hell was going on? My brain seemed to cease function as I swam for answers. The thought of Fang kissing me appalled me and made me giddy all at once. I actually found myself _liking _it. From now on, I'd be surfing the future channels more. For sure.

When we finally separated, all I could do was blink. Wow. I had absolutely no idea what had just happened between us, but I knew it was somewhere along the lines of him making out with me. My face turned beet red and I turned away semi-slowly. This situation was getting awkward.

"So…uh…we better get back. Sleuth and Max are probably waiting for us." I said pointing toward the car. Fang nodded and acted as if nothing had happened between us. Should I play the same game?

I was nonchalant about the situation until his hand found its way into mine. Oh giddy God, what the heck was I supposed to do? The only relationship I'd been in was with Sleuth. Not a romantic relationship--I know you're thinking that. Ewww…twincest thoughts. I mean, like, people I know type thing. It's not everyday I was kissed and then holding hands with them.

"Let's keep this on the DL ok?" I whispered to Fang as we neared the car. He smiled and leaned in toward my ear.

"Whatever you say." He was enjoying himself that cheeky monkey. Our hands had finally fallen to their own sides. That was a plus. Awkwardly, I jumped in the front seat and nodded to Sleuth. With a smile, he put on the gas and sped off down the dirt road.

First, I was supposed to save the world, two, I had some weird new power/ voice in my head, and third--Fang liked me. Not only had I escaped from a freakish maze thing, I'd blown stuff up, found answers, and kissed Fang. What a freaking day.

The upside you ask? We were headed to Cancun baby!


	10. Chapter 10

Hola! Como estas mis amigos? Que tal! Por que esta la viaje a Cancun, yo hablando en espanol! No translatordoras use por mi decir este. If you don't understand this, don't worry about it. My grammar is pretty bad (I'm sure. Spanish II helped none…) so, if you speak Spanish, please do not flame my pitiful attempt. Please enjoy this chapter though!

Love love,

Noodles

P.S.-AHHHHHHH BLEACH! huggles Ichigo Whoops….wrong fic! ;

P.P.S (or is it P.S.S?) - Sorry if it's a little bit sentimental. I need some drama.

-

Stormi

"I'm tired…pull over to this motel. We'll get on a plane tomorrow…" I grumbled yanking Sleuth so he had to turntoward a small motel. We'd been driving since midnight and had gotten pretty far. Considering it was noon…

"We're making good time Storm! Don't tell me to pull over when I'm cruising on eighty." He shot back veering the steering wheel straight again. With an exaggerated sigh, I turned to the back. Of course, all the flock was asleep.

"Sleuth…" I moaned giving him the puppy eyes. He looked sideways and mumbled something under his breath before turning into a motel. "Thank you bro!" I said hugging him.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get any ideas…" He mumbled as he shooed me out of the car. Quickly, I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a beanie. Stupid. He pushed me out with my ears and tail blaring ignorance in the face. Good thing I was quicker than most.

"Hey," I heard a voice from the car say, "you are going in to get us a room right?" Fang. Sad how I've only known the flock for somewhere around a week and I already knew the sound of their voices. Or, was it just because say…he kissed me?

"Yeah. Sleuth is on caffeine pills. We need to chill him out and make him sleep." Idiot truck driver. I told him no for Sleuth but _no_, go get the pills behind my back and drive through out the freaking night. I knew screws were already loose in my head, but he just made them looser.

"I'm coming with you then."

"Why?"

"Dunno." I shot him a warning glare, but sighed. It was useless. He would tag along anyway. With a sigh, I walked into the main lobby. Fang was close behind, looking out the window in case of an attack I'm sure.

"We need two rooms." I told the guy at the front desk. I flashed him my pearly whites, taking care not to let my fangs show too much.

"Why two? We could all sleep in--" Fang started in, but I cut him off. Now the guy was confused. Good job Fang.

"Two. Just two rooms. One night." I said putting a fifty on the counter as he handed me the keys. I hated to break the flock's heart, but Sleuth and I needed our space. We could stand each other, heck even deal with each other's stench, but not sleeping with other people around. For all we knew, they could be traitors. I'm not saying the flock was, but we just were…how would you put it….closed.

On the way back out the door, I noticed the rooms were two doors apart. That could make us or break us in an Eraser attack. If they were after me, the flock would attack…I hoped. If they were after Max, vice versa.

"Hey, Pillsey! Get the stuff out of the back. I need towash our clothes tonight." I shouted to Sleuth as I hooked a right toward our rooms. Obediently, he popped out of the car, (with his atrocious cowboy hat on) and retrieved our luggage. It was amazing! He even listened to directions now. How civilized were we eh?

I threw Fang a set of keys and smiled. "I'd go wake up the flock if I were you." I muttered in singsong as I opened the door to our room. "Our" meaning Sleuth and my room.

"However, you aren't me." He stated with a smile before walking into their room. Inside, the wallpaper was a tacky orange. Obviously, from the seventies. The carpet was a pistachio green color and the bathroom had rose tones to it. Well, it would have to do. I couldn't be picky. At least we got a bed!

Happily, I bounced up and down on the bed snuggling into the pillows. What a feeling! Soft, fluffy, pillows and a warm blanket. What more could a girl wish for? I realized though that I had forgotten about Sleuth in my euphoria.

As I skipped out the door, I saw Sleuth and the flock carrying bundles of clothes. With a new spring to my step, I hopped over to Sleuth and took some clothes from him.

"Thank you dearest sister." He said with a smile. I could tell he was excited too. His eyes were smoldering almost, they looked like they were on fire. The idiot wore his heart on his sleeve. We'd have to work on that. "Before I forget, can I ask you a question?"

"No problem. Shoot." I stated. We were at the door between the rooms now. I bounced up and down happily and thought of the bed. He was wasting my sleeping time.

"Why did you get two rooms? I wanted to spend the night with Max." He whined giving a fake lip. I felt my self stop bouncing. Suddenly, I felt my limbs burning and words flew out of mymouthunconsciously.

"Oh. I see. You're replacing me with Max. That's fine. Go spend the night in their room because I DON'T WANT YOU IN MINE!" I shouted throwing the clothes back at him and slamming the door to _my _room.

-

Max

What had just happened? I walk out to check on the wolves and suddenly Stormi's eyes go from lovely gold to almost black in seconds. _She even yelled at Sleuth._ I couldn't comprehend the situation. Sleuth did stupid stuff all the time and she never blew up on him. Why now?

"Uh…what just happened?" I asked. Yeah, like he's going to tell me.

"Well, you see my sister is being a bitch and is too full of herself right now so I'm spending the night with you guys." He stated harshly with a smile before he pushed on toward the laundry room. So much for the perfect sibling relationship…

As he stormed off, I shook my head in awe. Wow. I had never heard Sleuth curse before and yet he drops the "b" bomb on his sister. Harsh. No time to think of that though. I had to go get food.

With a sigh, I shook my head. Something told me that this would be one long night. I really did hope they would make up before tomorrow however. Otherwise, we'd be in for one awkward car ride.

-

Stormi

"URH! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him, I hate him, and I hate him!" I shouted into the pillow. Hot tears streamed down from my eyes, but I wouldn't let anyone see it. How could he say that? Had he really changed _that_ much?

He was the closest thing to me and he acted like that. It made me feel like my heart had just crumbled into bacon bits and were tossed on a misery salad. What a feeling.

I lay on the bed curled up in a ball, hoping that the night would soon take me away. Even though I was still in one piece, I felt achy and tense all over. Just like being hit in the chest by an Eraser. In desperation, I looked to the other bed, only to find it empty. Turning my head away, I fell into a shaky sleep.

-

When I awoke, it was somewhere around midnight. The cool night air had me chilly although my body was covered in a feverish sweat. I sat up on the bed and looked at the window before rolling back over onto my side. No need for the pain.

I heard a soft knock on the door. I simply ignored it. Maybe they would think I was asleep and just go away. However, the persistent bugger kept knocking louder. If I weren't pretending to be asleep, I would've thrown the alarm clock at the door to shut it up.

"Storm. I know you are awake. Look, I'm really sorry." I heard Sleuth's muffled voice from behind the door. "I shouldn't have said that. I realize that now." _Well, sorry you didn't realize this earlier. Go burn in hell._ I thought hugging the sheets close to me.

I was being sentimental, I knew it, but I was going through a lot. Usually, I kept things to myself. It was an ongoing repetition of pain. More I kept to myself the more pain I felt. Yet, I didn't want to upset anyone, especially Sleuth, with my troubles.

Mostly, I kept my feelings, visions, and potential ideas in. Sure, I was a bright happy girl on the outside, but on the inside, a war was waging. I never knew whether to accept myself or run away. It always bothered me to even think about the possibilities. I was _afraid _of myself, _afraid _of the future. I had the troublesome visions that just kept me in constant fear. Trust me; having your fears with you all the time wasn't pretty.

Finally, I calmed myself down enough to think rationally. Slowly, I walked over to the door and pressed my ear against the cold wood. Hearing nothing, I quietly walked out of the room and out into the still night.

"Where do you think you're going?" A shadow said from behind me. I didn't even turn. I knew who it was.

"What does it matter to you?" I asked coldly, taking off into the nearby forest. I could hardly believe that voice was my own. So cold, so bitter.

"Stormi. You're being irrational." Fang stated pulling up beside me. Quickly, I spun around to face him. Sadly, I had to look up. The freaking giant was a whole head taller than I was.

"Damn right I am. Sorry that the most important thing to you hasn't abandoned you. Sorry that you have people who love you no matter what. Let me tell you, you don't have your constant fear running rapid inside your skull now do you?" I could feel the tears returning and turned away only to be spun back around. The tears rolled off my face freely now. I knew I was going hysterical.

"Hey. Sleuth is really sorry. He even came by to apologize and stood outside your window so long he fell asleep." He stated putting a hand on my face. I turned away, but he still had a hold of my wrist. There would be no getting away.

"What was that kiss about yesterday anyway?" I asked staring off into the forest. I could feel Fang's surprise in the change of subject, but I didn't change my position.

"You told me 'do whatever it takes to move forward' right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So, I took your advice." I turned to look at him. Most of the tears had gone now. There was still an odd one every now and then, but I seemed better for the most part. Fang smiled a little and pulled me into him. I didn't even refuse. It felt so nice to be held. The waterworks began to flow again however.

With a soft sigh, he patted my head and let me bawl. I felt so terrible. What if I had ruined my relationship with Sleuth? Would he ever forgive me? I realized I had been irrational. I should have taken it as a joke.

After a while, I stopped sobbing enough to break away from Fang. "Thanks. I think I'm better now…" I gulped with a weak smile. We walked back to the motel in silence. My thoughts were scattered, but I knew what I had to do.

When we arrived in front of my door, I noticed that Sleuth was indeed slumped over by the window sleeping soundly. I looked from Fang to Sleuth and let go of his hand. Dropping to my knees, I hugged Sleuth and whispered into his ear, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way."

"That's ok. Let's go to bed." Sleuth stated drowsily, wrapping his arm around me tighter.


	11. Chapter 11

Hi again! This is Noodles, (dur) I'm now on chapter 11 of SS. We've come a long way haven't we? I really don't know how many more chapters I'm going to have, but hopefully, no more than five. We'll see.

--

Max

The twins must've made up sometime in the night for our car ride was a pleasant one. We were gaining on the border now. Only thirty more miles. I sighed and turned to look out the window. If I could help it, I'd never ride in a car again.

"Max, you seem a little cranky. Do we need to pull over?" Sleuth asked looking back in the rear-view mirror. I looked up and shook my head. Nothing was wrong with me. I just was…drained. "Whatever you say." He stated. I noticed he was smiling.

--

"Where did all these white coats come from?" I muttered to myself as we pulled into customs. Everyone was awake now; I had personally woke them up. We couldn't take risks with so many of the damn "scientists" around.

"Can I see your ID and proof of insurance?" A customs official asked Sleuth. Nonchalantly, he took out the driver's license and insurance papers. Stormi gave me a wink. This couldn't be good.

Luckily, I didn't stroke out. The customs guy handed back our papers and gave us all green cards. "You'll need those to get back so don't lose them." He stated before wishing us a good time. I sighed thankfully.

"How did you manage that?" I asked. I was sure that they would have figured it out to be a stolen driver's license. Sleuth looked up into the rear-view mirror, as did Stormi. They both smiled at once.

"We went to the DMV…" Stormi stated in turning around to look back at me.

"And reported we had a stolen driver's license." Sleuth finished her sentence. Stormi nodded and laughed. They could be smart at times. It was if we didn't steal the license at all. The guy we took it from was the one who stole it in the first place. I found myself nearly laughing as we drove through the compacted highway.

--

"Max! Max! We're here!" Angel's excited voice twitted from above me. Lazily, I opened my eyes and yawned. Sure enough, an expanse of beach was neatly rolled out before us with crystalline blue water beside it.

"Wow…" I muttered as we pulled into the biggest hotel I had ever been in. I turned to the wolves. "Where did you get all this money? I'm not paying to stay there." Stormi pulled on her hat and gave me a confused look.

"Didn't we tell you? We both tied for first at that anime convention so we each got five thousand dollars." She stated matter-of-factly. Sleuth chuckled and they exchanged high-fives. They were beginning to be lifesavers.

In moments, the kids were all piled out of the car and running around in the hot, sticky air. The smell of ocean drifted my way as a breeze blew by. This was heaven.

"Beautiful isn't it." Sleuth said pulling up beside me. I nodded. Then I did a double take. Sleuth looked _at least_ twenty-five in the clothes he was wearing. The tight fitting black shirt contoured to his chest perfectly making him appear to be older than what he was. A black beach hat was on top of his ears, making his usually spiky hair fall down into his face. "We should help unload." He stated. Dumbly, I followed still in awe of how he could look so much older just by changing shirts.

"Welcome to paradise!" Stormi shouted as we got up to our rooms. They had rented the biggest rooms, complete with a balcony facing the ocean. All the kids were already in new clothes perfect for the warm weather.

"Go put these on. We are going to go to the beach soon." Sleuth said shoving an expensive looking bag in my face. The contents inside were: a bathing suit, and a sundress. Attached to the sundress was a pair of matching sandals and a big hat. I wondered where they had bought these and how much they cost. Too bad they had smartly ripped off the price tags.

The bathing suit was a bright blue bikini with a white heart stitched on the top. A note accompanied it saying:

I hope you like it! Took me forever to find something suiting for you, Stormi.

It fit perfectly. I was slightly embarrassed to have so much flesh showing, but it _did_ look good on me. Next, I pulled on the sundress. It fit as well as the bathing suit. It was a baby blue with soft lace fringe. It felt good to have new clothes.

When I walked out of the bathroom, Stormi waltzed up to me and placed something in my hand. "Don't tell anyone I bought this for you. They might get jealous." She happily bounced up and down waiting for me to open my palm. I looked from her to my hand. What could it possibly be?

I opened my palm and nearly launched myself on her. I had seen the necklace back in DC but didn't have enough money to buy it. It was simple; a single pearl on a silver chain, but it was so perfect. I turned the pearl around and Stormi laughed to herself.

"I didn't know your initials so I had to ask Fang. It's funny that your initials match your personality." She stated scratching the back of her head. The initials "M. R." were scribbled in fine print on the back of the pearl. The thought of hugging her suddenly disappeared. I knew what she was trying to imply.

Everyone then shuffled out the door and down to the beach. The soft white sand sifted through my toes as I watched Angel, Gazzy, Nudgeand Iggy swim in actual swimsuits. Smartly, the wolves had bought Angel and Nudgeone piece suitswith no open back to covertheir wings. The boys sported new t-shirts to cover theirs.

After a while, I noticed Sleuth, Stormi and Fang were nowhere to be seen. I left the kids for a second to go look for them. They couldn't be too far away.

Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of someone walking around in all black. It had to be Fang. I followed my gaze to a bar where I found him taking a seat next to two very attractive people. As I neared, I noticed that it was only the wolves.

"Hey! Came to join us did ya?" Stormi said with a smile. I took a seat on one of the Corona stools and shook my head. No alcohol for Max. That would set a bad example. Stormi looked amazingly good in her bathing suit. It was a bikini that could be worn by a supermodel. It was an orange-red color with streaks of gray splattered through it. To some extent, she looked like a sexy red healer. Her skin was already beginning to tan too.

Sleuth was clad in some swim trunks that screamed Fang. They were solid black with an ultraviolet orange skull and crossbones stamped across the side. They both wore hats and Stormi even sported shades. However, Sleuth had retired his beach hat for a Fox Racing one.

When drinks arrived, Stormi offered some to me but I refused. It was about time I got back to the kids anyway. "Hey, I'll go watch the kids. You sit here and make sure Sleuth doesn't do anything stupid." Stormi stated grabbing Fang as she strode off.

Sleuth just ignored Stormi's remark and smiled. "You having fun yet?" He asked before biting into a lime and downing a shot of tequila. I nodded and smiled.

"The fact that we're not running makes me happy enough." I stated with a laugh. Sleuth smiled and continued to down shots and Corona. I knew where this would end up. Stormi was right; I needed to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.

As we continued to talk, I noticed the state of Sleuth's words beginning to slur. "Sleuth, I think it's time to quit drinking." I said as he downed his fifth beer. He shook his head and put his arm around me.

"Let me tell you. I don't get drunk easily." He stated with a fanged smile. Good thing the hotel was within walking distance. I wouldn't have trusted him with a car. As time trickled on, the silence between us grew. Sleuth would randomly smile at me sometimes, but he did that drunk or not.

"You know Max," he started in, "I'vealwayslikedyoualot." I looked at him in confusion.

"You what?"

"I said," he started back in suddenly growing serious, "I said, I've always loved you. You're bossy and mean and take care of things although you never have any fun." His statement left me dumbfounded. Thus the affects of alcohol. I was sure he didn't mean any of it.

When he said it though, my heart began to flutter. I couldn't possibly like him…could I? I shook my head to dismiss the thought. Right now, we needed to get back to the hotel. The more I let him get drunk, the more difficult it would be to haul him back.

"She needs a squirt of tequila!" He called out. I looked in horror as the bar tenders came out with a funnel and a bottle of tequila. It was definitely time to leave.

"Ok, we're leaving now…" I mumbled reaching into his pocket to get his billfold. I threw a fifty on the table, grabbed him and hobbled away as fast as I could. Sad thing was, it wasn't even dark yet, and here I was carrying a drunk.

When we reached our room, I threw a half-asleep Sleuth onto a bed. Although we had two rooms separated by a door, we had all opted stay in one room. With a sigh, I slumped onto the bed and lay back with exhaustion. Had he really meant what he said?

I turned over to ask him, but he was already asleep. After an hour or so of TV in Spanish (I couldn't stand any of it, but the soap operas were too funny), I got a call from Stormi saying they were going to go shop around town and go to a market. I didn't tell her her brother was wasted and asleep already. That might've caused some worrying that wasn't needed.

Yet another hour passed and I found myself consumed by boredom. It was sunset now, the sky painted a smear of red and orange above the sparkling water. I stepped out onto the balcony and began to stare out over the water for sometime. I was so consumed with the infatuating sunset, I failed to notice Sleuth shuffling up beside me with his hair all out of shape.

"Thanks." He stated. When I heard this, I jumped slightly. I wasn't expecting him to be up yet. Yet again, the great Sleuth had startled me.

"For what?" I asked turning from the sunset to him. He chuckled and stretched his thin body upward.

"Dragging my butt back up here. I shouldn't have drank so much. Sorry to bother you." The truth was it didn't bother me for some reason. This guy needed someone to watch after him or he got in trouble. He was similar to a four-year-old in many ways. "I didn't say nor do anything stupid did I?"

I shook my head and he gave me a lopsided smile, "I don't want you to lie to me. Did I?" I dropped my head and sighed. What to say?

"Well, you told me that you loved me and you almost got them to funnel tequila into me." I said still staring at the ground. Sleuth let out a laugh and crossed his arms on the railing.

"Well, sorry for the funnel incident. I must've been really tipsy. As for the other part," He sighed and turned to look at me with his golden eyes that seemed to take a new shade of color in the sunset. Once again, my chest was doing that fluttering thing. It was annoying, yet made me feel all giddy.

I looked at him and nodded expectantly to continue, "As for the last part, I really do love you. Since the first time I set eyes on you, you've been my reason for being. I've wanted to be here to protect you since then. Call me crazy, but that is how I feel." He flashed a dazzling smile as if he hadn't just spilled his heart out to me.

"Well…um…" I didn't know what to say. I was at a loss for words. The stupid thumping in my chest was growing louder by the second. His smile softened, but I could see the disappointment in his face.

"That's ok if you can't return my feelings." He said cupping my face with his hands. I could feel the tears coming. I wanted to hold them back so bad, but he had a weird effect on my feelings. "Just know I'm always here for you." Softly, he kissed my forehead and began to walk back in the room. The tears now rolling down my face.

"I…I'm sorry." I choked out. For a moment, he stopped at the doorframe his back to me. I wanted to say it, but I didn't know what I wanted to say. The fact that he was walking away like this ripped up my insides and made my mind reel. How did I really feel about him? I couldn't lie to myself anymore. Somehow, I didn't know what my own brain was telling me.

Once he closed the door, I slumped on the ground and began crying harder than before. "I'm sorry…so sorry…"


End file.
